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Glite Dictionary
to shoot one's load

to shoot one's load

9.9
Use all your energy at once and have none left in a rude way
  • idiom
  • /ʃut wʌnz loʊd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : [Vulgar] correrse
  • Don't shoot your load too early in the project!

Examples

  • The musician shot her load on stage, leaving the crowd in awe of her energy.

  • He shot his load at the meeting and was too exhausted to contribute to the next project.

  • Don't shoot your load too early in the competition or you'll run out of steam.

  • He shot his load during the first few minutes of the game.

  • After weeks of grueling training, the team finally shot their load during the championship match.

  • He put all his passion into the performance and really shot his load on stage.

  • Feeling exhausted, she realized she had shot her load finishing the big project at work.

Synonyms

to push to the limit
vsto shoot one's load
7 5.1

Make a person or thing work as hard as possible until they cannot keep going

is the vulgar phrase that implies exhausting energy instead of testing limits
to push it to the limit
vsto shoot one's load
  • Informal
1 7.2

Use all your energy and take big risks to test your skill

is the vulgar expression that stresses exhausting everything rather than testing
to shoot your bolt
vsto shoot one's load
  • Informal
1 8.6

To use up all your energy or chances so none remain

is the vulgar informal version rather than a neutral phrase
to shoot one's bolt
vsto shoot one's load
  • Informal
8.8

To use up all your energy or chances

is the vulgar informal version rather than a neutral phrase
to empty the tank
vsto shoot one's load
  • Informal
5.1

Use all your energy in a final effort until you have none left

is the coarser informal variant rather than a neutral phrase
to give it the gun
vsto shoot one's load
  • Informal
9.8

To try very hard and work quickly to finish something

is the vulgar phrase that focuses on using everything rather than steady effort
to blow one's load
vsto shoot one's load
  • Offensive
9.9

Informal and rude way to use up all your energy or resources at once

is the vulgar expression that adds a premature or sexual connotation

Antonyms

to save energy
9 2.5

Use less energy, for example by turning off lights when you leave

to take one's time
3.5

To do something slowly and carefully without hurrying

How Exhausted

to collapse
579 3.9
to shoot one's load
  • Offensive
9.9
to use up
69 2.7

Surface Forms

shoot one's load infinitive
shooting one's load present participle
shoots one's load third person singular
shot one's load past
shot one's load past participle

Morphology

shoot + one + load

The phrase 'shoot one's load' has an idiomatic, vulgar meaning (including a sexual sense) that is not directly or predictably derived from the literal meanings of 'shoot' and 'load.' A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would be unlikely to infer the expression's intended sense without prior exposure, so it is not compositionally transparent.

Etymology

Shoot one's load may come from the image of firing a gun until the load of bullets is gone. When you 'shoot your load' you empty everything at once, so the phrase means 'use all your energy or effort'.