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gunslinger

American  
[guhn-sling-er] / ˈgʌnˌslɪŋ ər /

noun

  1. Informal. gunfighter.

  2. Slang. a person who acts in an aggressive and decisive manner, especially in business or politics, as an investor who takes large risks in seeking large, quick gains.

gunslinger British  
/ ˈɡʌnˌslɪŋə /

noun

  1. slang a gunfighter or gunman, esp in the Old West

"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 gunslinger

First recorded in 1950–55; gun 1 + sling 1 + -er 1

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.

Oil boss Scott Sheffield has a new job: activist gunslinger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Set in 1872, Forsaken, focuses on embittered gunslinger John Henry Clayton's return to his hometown and his attempts to build bridges with his estranged father.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2024

He was back onstage at the end of the Stills-Young set, joining as one more electric guitar gunslinger on “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2024

But sometimes that confidence — that ol’ gunslinger bravado — gets him in trouble.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 23, 2023

She stood there stupidly, staring at them, her arms hanging loose at her sides, like a gunslinger in a Western showdown.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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.