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Synonyms

gunner

American  
[guhn-er] / ˈgʌn ər /

noun

  1. a person who operates a gun or cannon.

  2. Army. an occupational title in the artillery.

  3. Navy. a person skilled in handling ammunition and gunnery equipment.

  4. Marine Corps. a warrant officer who may be given any one of a number of assignments.

  5. British.

    1. Military. a private in the artillery.

    2. Informal. any officer or enlisted person assigned to the artillery.

  6. a person who hunts with a gun.

gunner British  
/ ˈɡʌnə /

noun

  1. a serviceman who works with, uses, or specializes in guns

  2. navy (formerly) a warrant officer responsible for the training of gun crews, their performance in action, and accounting for ammunition

  3.  gnr.  (in the British Army) an artilleryman, esp a private

  4. a person who hunts with a rifle or shotgun

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of gunner

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at gun 1, -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing gunner

"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Genesis on why she's always been an Arsenal fan: I will watch every men's World Cup for sure, and the women's tournaments too, but I am always a Gunner - you can't rub that off!

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Georgia got one snap from scrimmage and had some frantic fun with it, with players making nine lateral tosses like a fledgling rugby squad before quarterback Gunner Stockton was tackled to end the game.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

Their son Gunner is a junior at St. Michael and a four-star college prospect at quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

The Army said it offered its "sincerest condolences" to Gunner Beck and her family.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025

In it, she’d said that our mascot, the Gunner, was inappropriate for a school environment.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.