to shoot someone's face off

9.9

To surprise someone very strongly, often in a funny way

idiom

Offensive

: volar la cabeza a alguien (informal, vulgar)

That spicy curry will shoot your face off if you're not careful!

Examples

The band's new single will shoot someone's face off with its sheer energy.
That joke really shot his face off and left everyone laughing.
The opening scene was so loud, it nearly shot my face off in the theater.
That joke really shot his face off!
Why did you shoot her face off with that comment?
That spicy curry will shoot your face off if you're not careful!
The band's new single will shoot someone's face off with its sheer energy.

Synonyms

to shock the hell out of someone

vsto shoot someone's face off

Informal

2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

is often used playfully or exaggeratedly rather than causing real lasting distress

to knock over with a feather

vsto shoot someone's face off

Informal

1 8.8

To be so surprised that you almost cannot react

is often more playful and exaggerated rather than leaving someone motionless

to hit like a ton of bricks

vsto shoot someone's face off

Informal

1 8.0

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

is often more playful or exaggerated rather than literally heavy or crushing

to hit like a lightning bolt

vsto shoot someone's face off

8.2

To feel sudden shock or surprise

is often more playful or exaggerated than a literal sudden shock

Antonyms

to calm down

Informal

594 1.4

To become less angry, excited, or upset

to soothe

63 3.4

To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain

How Impressive

to shoot someone's face off

Offensive

9.9

to astonish

13 3.5

to impress

457 2.8

surprise

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

shoot someone's face off infinitive

shooting someone's face off present participle

shoots someone's face off third person singular

shot someone's face off past

shot someone's face off past participle

Morphology

shoot + someone's + face + off

The figurative sense ('to have a powerful or startling impact' or to make someone laugh) cannot be derived from the literal parts — 'shoot' + 'someone's' + 'face' + 'off' yields a violent, literal image rather than the idiomatic, hyperbolic meaning. This is colloquial, culture-specific slang and thus unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The idiom shoot someone's face off uses a wild, literal picture: imagine a gun so loud or strong it seems to shoot someone's face off. That's why people use it to mean something has a 'very powerful' or 'shocking' effect, often said as a joke.