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Glite Dictionary
to shoot off

to shoot off

4 4.1
To send a message quickly without much thought
  • phrasal verb
  • /ʃuːt ɔf/
  • Informal
: enviar rápidamente
  • "The lawyer shoots off an e-mail with some advice, and the client may act on it, but it's not an opinion letter."
  • shot off an email
  • shot off a letter

Examples

  • As he did, he shot off an email to the Tiger Moth pilot to come pick him up as close to dawn as possible at the earlier drop-off point.

    Blog text (34)

  • I shot off a review to Amazon as soon as I finished.

    Blog text (11)

  • We're going to eat some breakfast and then shoot off to our flight.

  • Get your facts straight before you shoot off on your keyboard again.

    Blog text (15)

  • You shoot off a fax demanding cash.

    Up Close & Personal (1996)

  • When I read the story, I do what I always do, and shoot off a note to Ralph Andersen, NEI's chief health physicist.

    Blog text (13)

  • Could you shoot off a quick email to let everyone know about the meeting?

  • After finishing my report, I decided to shoot off a message to my manager.

  • She needed to shoot off a few notes before heading to the conference.

Synonyms

to shoot
vsto shoot off
228 1.6

To move very quickly in one direction

focuses on quick delivery of messages rather than sudden motion or events
to send off
vsto shoot off
105 2.9

To post or email something to another place

means dispatching rapidly with little preparation rather than routine delivery
to send
vsto shoot off
12 3.2

Show a program to many people on radio or television

focuses on quick personal transmission rather than scheduled broadcasting
to dash off
vsto shoot off
2 5.1

To write something quickly without much care

emphasizes quick sending of messages instead of merely quick composing
to zap (an email)
vsto shoot off
  • Texting
1 7.5

Send an email quickly, usually in an informal way when it is urgent

is used for quickly sending various messages, not only email
to fling off
vsto shoot off
  • Informal
1 7.3

To write something quickly without much effort

often involves sending messages quickly rather than only rapid writing
to shoot a line
vsto shoot off
  • Informal
1 8.3

To send a short message to someone by phone or text

is used for sending messages quickly without limiting their length

Antonyms

to prepare
∞ 1.0

Make something ready for use or an event

to take time
744 2.3

To need a long time to finish

How Fast

to shoot off
  • Informal
4 4.1
to dash off
2 5.1
email
  • Texting
748 1.0
to send
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

shoot off infinitive
shooting off present participle
shoots off third person singular
shot off past
shot off past participle

Morphology

shoot + off

The meaning 'to send something quickly' follows directly from 'shoot' (to send or move rapidly) combined with the directional particle 'off' (away), matching a common English phrasal-verb composition pattern. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the metaphorical extension to sending a message (e.g., 'shoot off an email'), so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

Shoot off comes from the image of firing a gun or rocket: you shoot something off and it flies away quickly. So people began to use it for sending notes or messages fast, and it now means 'to send something quickly'.