volley
Americannoun
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volleys
plural
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the simultaneous discharge of a number of missiles or firearms.
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the missiles so discharged.
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a burst or outpouring of many things at once or in quick succession.
a volley of protests.
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Tennis.
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the flight of the ball before it hits the ground.
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the return of the ball before it hits the ground.
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Soccer. a kick of the ball before it bounces on the ground.
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Cricket. a ball so bowled that it hits the wicket before it touches the ground.
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Mining. the explosion of several charges at one time.
verb (used with object)
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volleys,
present (3rd person singular)
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volleyed,
past participle, past
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volleying
present participle
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to discharge in or as in a volley.
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Tennis. to return (the ball) before it hits the ground.
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Soccer. to kick (the ball) before it bounces on the ground.
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Cricket. to bowl (a ball) in such a manner that it is pitched near the top of the wicket.
verb (used without object)
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volleys,
present (3rd person singular)
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volleyed,
past participle, past
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volleying
present participle
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to fly or be discharged together, as missiles.
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to move or proceed with great rapidity, as in a volley.
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to fire a volley; sound together, as firearms.
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Tennis, Soccer. to return the ball before it touches the ground.
noun
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the simultaneous discharge of several weapons, esp firearms
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the projectiles or missiles so discharged
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a burst of oaths, protests, etc, occurring simultaneously or in rapid succession
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sport a stroke, shot, or kick at a moving ball before it hits the ground Compare half volley
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cricket the flight of such a ball or the ball itself
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the simultaneous explosion of several blastings of rock
verb
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to discharge (weapons, etc) in or as if in a volley or (of weapons, etc) to be discharged
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(tr) to utter vehemently or sound loudly and continuously
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(tr) sport to strike or kick (a moving ball) before it hits the ground
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(intr) to issue or move rapidly or indiscriminately
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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volleysimple
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volleyssimple
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have volleyedperfect
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has volleyedperfect
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am volleyingprogressive
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are volleyingprogressive
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is volleyingprogressive
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have been volleyingperfect progressive
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has been volleyingperfect progressive
Past
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volleyedsimple
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had volleyedperfect
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was volleyingprogressive
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were volleyingprogressive
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had been volleyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of volley
1565–75; < Middle French volee flight, noun use of feminine past participle of voler to fly < Latin volāre
Explanation
When an attacking army lets loose a barrage of bullets all at once, it's called a volley. A volley of bullets, arrows, or rocks describes a large number of them being shot or thrown simultaneously. Another meaning of the noun volley involves just one projectile: a returned tennis ball, usually one that hasn't hit the ground before being smacked by a racket. The military meaning of volley has been around since the 1500's, while the sports meaning didn't arise until the late 1800's. The root word is the Latin volare, "to fly."
Vocabulary lists containing volley
The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
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A Soccer and a Football Special
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The Week in Words: March 24 - 30, 2018
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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.
See Examples For:
The Jordanian army reported a new volley of Iranian missiles on Thursday morning, saying five had been shot down, causing no casualties.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
The volley of new duties, initially proposed in June, now takes its place.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
With a cross-court forehand from Gauff threatening to fizz straight past her, the Czech player stretched out, leapt into the air and put away the volley winner before falling face down on the grass.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
But it ended with a bang with Eustáquio latching on to a loose ball at top of the box and blasting a right-footed volley just inside the left post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
But it also provoked a volley of new questions: If Moni’s illness was genetic, then why had his father and sister been spared?
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Armed relatives fired repeated volleys into the air, a customary gesture of mourning in many Arab communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Two tanker ships were attacked off the coast of Oman on Monday, in the latest volleys in the area.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Now he’s gone dark, deleting his X.com account after exchanging volleys with a radio reporter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The U.S. would need to weigh the risk of damage from Iranian retaliatory volleys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Even Lewis and Clark with their big guns were astounded and unsettled by the ability of the grizzly to absorb volleys of lead with barely a wobble.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
He began delivering on that fee in the 2002 Champions League final, scoring a stunning volleyed winner as Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at Hampden Park.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Diogo Dalot's cross was cleared high into the air before the 21-year-old volleyed past Aaron Ramsdale on 24 minutes.
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
Riccardo Orsolini levelled the scores for Italian Cup holders Bologna with his penalty 10 minutes before half-time, cancelling out Marcus Thuram's early volleyed opener for Inter.
From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025
There are cameos by visiting celebrities, such as tennis great Roger Federer, with whom he volleyed a few balls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025
Bien floated the ball toward the center of the field, but a Blue Springs player volleyed it back toward him and out of bounds.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
The forward rounded off an excellent night by volleying home Matteo Ruggeri's cross with three minutes to go.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
And so, on a black Christmas night, with sleet volleying into their faces, columns of men struggled through some of the most inhospitable fields to ever yield up a victory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
The part-time side upset the odds at home, with Matthew Hanlan volleying home the winner just before the hour mark.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025
This summer, she plans to begin shooting the third seasons of those latter two series, volleying from one to the other.
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
Now the fire was nearer; those volleying shots were great limbs, trunks even, bursting.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
