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gunfire

American  
[guhn-fahyuhr] / ˈgʌnˌfaɪər /

noun

  1. the firing of a gun or guns.

  2. Military. the tactical use of firearms, especially artillery, as distinguished from other weapons, as bayonets, torpedoes, or grenades.

gunfire British  
/ ˈɡʌnˌfaɪə /

noun

  1. the firing of one or more guns, esp when done repeatedly

  2. the use of firearms, as contrasted with other military tactics

"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

Etymology

Origin of gunfire

First recorded in 1795–1805; gun 1 + fire

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.

Officers potentially wasting thousands of hours in pursuit of car backfires and construction noise mislabeled as gunfire has not deterred the New York Police Department from continuing to use it.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

The album started with quiet wind and then turned into a tornado of thunder and sirens, swordplay and gunfire over big horns and a funky soul backbeat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

An AFP correspondent outside Sheikh Maqsud heard sporadic gunfire from the neighbourhood after the army's announcement.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

A video filmed by the US immigration agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday has emerged, showing the moments before gunfire rang out.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

I returned to my room, my head full of crickets and gunfire.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.