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shot in the arm, a

Idioms  

  1. A stimulus or booster, something vitalizing or encouraging, as in Getting a new concertmaster was a real shot in the arm for the orchestra. This colloquial expression alludes to a stimulant given by injection. [c. 1920]

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.

It made getting a shot in the arm a really pleasant experience!

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2021

He is getting a shot in the arm, a transfusion of hot red blood from a vitality more abundant and intense than his.

From Time Magazine Archive

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.