shoot
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
shoots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shot,
past participle, past
-
shooting
present participle
-
to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.
-
to execute or put to death with a bullet.
to be shot at sunrise.
-
to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon.
to shoot a bullet.
-
to discharge (a weapon).
to shoot a gun.
-
to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly.
to shoot questions at someone.
-
The volcano shot lava high into the air.
-
to direct suddenly or swiftly.
Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.
-
to move suddenly; send swiftly along.
-
to go over (country) in hunting game.
-
to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc..
to shoot rapids.
-
to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.
-
to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.
-
to cause to extend or project.
He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.
-
to discharge or empty, as down a chute.
Do not shoot rubbish here!
-
Sports.
-
to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
-
to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.
-
-
Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.
-
(in dice games)
-
to throw (the dice or a specific number).
-
to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money).
I'll shoot ten bucks.
-
-
Photography. to photograph or film.
-
to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.
-
to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.
-
to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.
-
Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes).
He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.
-
to take the altitude of (a heavenly body).
to shoot the sun.
-
to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.
-
Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition.
to shoot landings.
-
Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.
verb (used without object)
-
shoots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shot,
past participle, past
-
shooting
present participle
-
to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.
-
to be discharged, as a firearm.
-
to hunt with a gun for sport.
He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.
-
to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt.
The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.
-
Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.
-
to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.
-
to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.
-
Photography. to photograph.
-
Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.
-
to extend; jut.
a cape shooting out into the sea.
-
Sports, Games.
-
to propel a ball, puck, etc., at a goal, basket, pocket, etc., or in a specific direction.
He shot for the green with a five iron.
-
to propel a ball in a specific way.
The center shoots left-handed.
-
-
to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body.
Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.
-
to carry by force of discharge or momentum.
The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.
-
Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk.
I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!
noun
-
shoots
plural
-
the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.
-
Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.
-
a match or contest at shooting.
-
a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.
-
a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.
-
the amount of such growth.
-
a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.
-
a sprout that is not three feet high.
-
a chute.
-
Rocketry. the launching of a missile.
-
Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial.
The actress is away on a shoot.
-
Rowing. the interval between strokes.
-
Mining.
-
a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
-
a narrow vein of ore.
-
verb phrase
-
shoot up
-
to grow rapidly or suddenly.
-
Informal. to damage or harass by reckless shooting.
cowboys shooting up the town.
-
to wound by shooting.
He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
-
Slang. to inject an addictive drug intravenously.
-
-
shoot for / at to attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward.
He is shooting for a higher production level.
-
shoot down
-
to cause to fall by hitting with a shot.
They shot down several ducks.
-
Informal. to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk.
to shoot down a popular theory.
-
idioms
-
shoot the bull. bull.
-
shoot one's bolt. bolt.
-
shoot off one's mouth / face,
-
to talk indiscreetly, especially to reveal confidences, make thoughtless remarks, etc.
-
to exaggerate.
He likes to shoot off his mouth about what a great guy he is.
-
-
shoot the breeze. breeze.
-
shoot one's wad. wad.
-
shoot from the hip, to act or speak without due consideration or deliberation.
-
shoot the works. work.
interjection
verb
-
(tr) to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon
-
to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon
-
to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired
-
to send out or be sent out as if from a weapon
he shot questions at her
-
(intr) to move very rapidly; dart
-
(tr) to slide or push into or out of a fastening
to shoot a bolt
-
to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted
-
(tr) to go or pass quickly over or through
to shoot rapids
-
(intr) to hunt game with a gun for sport
-
(tr) to pass over (an area) in hunting game
-
to extend or cause to extend; project
-
(tr) to discharge down or as if down a chute
-
(intr) (of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)
-
(intr) (of a seed) to germinate
-
to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)
-
(tr; usually passive) to variegate or streak, as with colour
-
sport to hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal
-
(tr) sport to score (points, strokes, etc)
he shot 72 on the first round
-
(tr) to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge
-
(tr) mining to detonate
-
(tr) to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)
-
slang (often foll by up) to inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)
-
See line 1
-
to speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences
-
See bolt 1
-
informal to damage one's own cause inadvertently
-
slang
-
to talk indiscreetly
-
to boast or exaggerate
-
-
See breeze 1
noun
-
the act of shooting
-
the action or motion of something that is shot
-
the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed
-
any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc
-
a meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns
-
an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns
-
a steep descent in a stream; rapid
-
informal a photographic assignment
-
geology mining a narrow workable vein of ore
-
obsolete the reach of a shot
-
slang everything
interjection
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shootsimple
-
shootssimple
-
have shotperfect
-
has shotperfect
-
am shootingprogressive
-
are shootingprogressive
-
is shootingprogressive
-
have been shootingperfect progressive
-
has been shootingperfect progressive
Past
-
shotsimple
-
had shotperfect
-
was shootingprogressive
-
were shootingprogressive
-
had been shootingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shoot1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb sheten, sheeten, shoten, Old English scēotan; cognate with Old Frisian skiata, Dutch schieten, Old High German skiozan, German schiessen, Old Norse skjōta; akin to shot 1
Origin of shoot2
An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; alteration of shit, conformed to shoot 1
Vocabulary lists containing shoot
Loaded Words from the Gun Violence Debate
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
He got on top of Glasnow’s first pitch, a fastball up and out of the strike zone, to shoot a single through the right side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The U.K. government says its bases are safe and it is currently in the process of changing the law so that military personnel guarding bases can track, jam and shoot down drones from afar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Restaurant margins are brutal, and a generated image costs less than a photo shoot.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
When a default wave appears to be looming, spreads tend to shoot higher, acting as a canary in the coal mine.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Maybe you could shoot some baskets with Ray?”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Cinematographer Kira Kelly shoots powerful close-ups of Misty, then pivots to watch the people watching her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
But stacking a federal tax credit on top of the newly bolstered California production incentives could help give the state an edge when producers are pricing out location shoots, industry experts say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
WPP’s new AI-fueled production hub in London combines virtual location shoots with traditional craft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
But nearly three years on, he presumably felt the green shoots of recovery would be starting to grow by now.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Grass shoots sprouted behind them, leaving a trail, to show where they had been.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert, said people should aim to get the shot ideally before mid-October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
If Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez still has a shot at staying in power, it is partly because of a woman known as Maricarmen who died on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Matarazzo shot to fame in 2016 as endearing super-geek Dustin Henderson - a role he calls "the greatest honour of his life".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
He's sceptical about what was shot into the clouds, and questions how safe it was for both residents and their habitat.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
In the air force he had done some training in living off the land—it was something they all had to do, in case they got shot down.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
The deadly shooting prompted an outpouring of support for Rodriguez, who left behind a wife, a 3-year-old son and a 6-month-old baby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
“It fully integrates every single drone, every sensor and every shooting platform into just one single network,” he told a congressional committee earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
"The public is left without a full record of how this encounter ended in a shooting."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Salazar was later identified as the suspect when a motorist told police he had been aggressively confronted by a driver minutes before the shooting, according to evidence presented in court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
And there is the guy with shaggy hair shooting a basketball into a hoop.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
