shoot
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.
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to execute or put to death with a bullet.
to be shot at sunrise.
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to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon.
to shoot a bullet.
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to discharge (a weapon).
to shoot a gun.
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to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly.
to shoot questions at someone.
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The volcano shot lava high into the air.
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to direct suddenly or swiftly.
Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.
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to move suddenly; send swiftly along.
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to go over (country) in hunting game.
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to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc..
to shoot rapids.
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to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.
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to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.
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to cause to extend or project.
He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.
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to discharge or empty, as down a chute.
Do not shoot rubbish here!
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Sports.
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to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
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to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.
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Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.
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(in dice games)
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to throw (the dice or a specific number).
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to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money).
I'll shoot ten bucks.
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Photography. to photograph or film.
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to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.
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to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.
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to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.
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Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes).
He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.
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to take the altitude of (a heavenly body).
to shoot the sun.
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to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.
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Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition.
to shoot landings.
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Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.
verb (used without object)
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to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.
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to be discharged, as a firearm.
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to hunt with a gun for sport.
He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.
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to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt.
The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.
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Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.
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to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.
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to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.
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Photography. to photograph.
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Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.
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to extend; jut.
a cape shooting out into the sea.
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Sports, Games.
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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.
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to propel a ball in a specific way.
The center shoots left-handed.
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to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body.
Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.
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to carry by force of discharge or momentum.
The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.
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Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk.
I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!
noun
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the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.
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Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.
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a match or contest at shooting.
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a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.
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a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.
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the amount of such growth.
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a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.
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a sprout that is not three feet high.
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a chute.
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Rocketry. the launching of a missile.
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Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial.
The actress is away on a shoot.
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Rowing. the interval between strokes.
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Mining.
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a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
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a narrow vein of ore.
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verb phrase
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shoot up
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to grow rapidly or suddenly.
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Informal. to damage or harass by reckless shooting.
cowboys shooting up the town.
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to wound by shooting.
He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
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Slang. to inject an addictive drug intravenously.
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shoot for / at to attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward.
He is shooting for a higher production level.
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shoot down
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to cause to fall by hitting with a shot.
They shot down several ducks.
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Informal. to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk.
to shoot down a popular theory.
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idioms
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shoot the bull. bull.
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shoot one's bolt. bolt.
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shoot off one's mouth / face,
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to talk indiscreetly, especially to reveal confidences, make thoughtless remarks, etc.
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to exaggerate.
He likes to shoot off his mouth about what a great guy he is.
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shoot the breeze. breeze.
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shoot one's wad. wad.
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shoot from the hip, to act or speak without due consideration or deliberation.
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shoot the works. work.
interjection
verb
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(tr) to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon
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to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon
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to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired
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to send out or be sent out as if from a weapon
he shot questions at her
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(intr) to move very rapidly; dart
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(tr) to slide or push into or out of a fastening
to shoot a bolt
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to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted
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(tr) to go or pass quickly over or through
to shoot rapids
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(intr) to hunt game with a gun for sport
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(tr) to pass over (an area) in hunting game
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to extend or cause to extend; project
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(tr) to discharge down or as if down a chute
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(intr) (of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)
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(intr) (of a seed) to germinate
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to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)
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(tr; usually passive) to variegate or streak, as with colour
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sport to hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal
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(tr) sport to score (points, strokes, etc)
he shot 72 on the first round
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(tr) to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge
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(tr) mining to detonate
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(tr) to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)
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slang (often foll by up) to inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)
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See line 1
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to speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences
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See bolt 1
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informal to damage one's own cause inadvertently
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slang
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to talk indiscreetly
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to boast or exaggerate
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See breeze 1
noun
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the act of shooting
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the action or motion of something that is shot
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the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed
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any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc
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a meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns
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an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns
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a steep descent in a stream; rapid
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informal a photographic assignment
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geology mining a narrow workable vein of ore
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obsolete the reach of a shot
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slang everything
interjection
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shootsimple
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shootssimple
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have shotperfect
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has shotperfect
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am shootingprogressive
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are shootingprogressive
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is shootingprogressive
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have been shootingperfect progressive
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has been shootingperfect progressive
Past
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shotsimple
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had shotperfect
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was shootingprogressive
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were shootingprogressive
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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
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Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Middle School
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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:
A number of renowned directors, including “The Odyssey’s” Christopher Nolan, prefer to shoot on film and strongly encourage analog viewing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
His brilliant birdie meant he matched Herbert's score as the pair became only the sixth and seventh men to shoot 62 at a major.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Yamal’s family had entered a charity raffle organized by the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport and the United Nations Children’s Fund, known as UNICEF, and they won a spot in a promotional photo shoot with Messi.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
At NATO’s annual summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, Trump said he would let Ukraine manufacture Patriot defense systems, sophisticated U.S. mobile batteries that can shoot down enemy ballistic missiles.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
“I have observed the scar on your hand, Nell. It tells me you can shoot. But what I want to know is, Can you shoot well? Well enough to teach me?”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Instead, he shoots nearly all the film in close-ups with fuzzy backgrounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
In the evenings he shoots hoops and kicks soccer balls with them in the backyard, and splits the unfun stuff—cleaning, laundry, diaper duties—with his wife, Kirstin, 36, a stay-at-home mom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The water arrives at the valley floor under pressure and shoots out of a vertical nozzle like a "massive fountain", says Dr Suryanarayanan Balasubramanian, the founder of Acres of Ice.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
The same idea explains how cars move, how people row boats, and why a balloon shoots forward when air escapes from its opening.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026
Colin shoots me a look and we both laugh.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Those good vibes were on display when Son’s shot whizzed between two defenders and the outstretched arms of Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Instead, officials sent a warning shot: a late March memo telling staff they were prohibited from using nonpublic information for financial benefit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
This week, ICE shot and killed 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, in an incident about which there is still much to learn.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
"Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing, so the intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot," a R&A spokesperson told reporters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Around mid-morning, Wolf startled a clutch of willow grouse, who shot skywards with indignant gobbles.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Fire officials said one home along Palmer Drive was significantly damaged by the flames, with fire shooting through the roof at one point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Rights groups identified the victim in Monday's shooting in Biddeford, Maine as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 26, a delivery driver authorized to work in the United States, who lived with his wife and three-year-old daughter.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Total revenue climbed 13% from a year earlier to $5.7 billion, shooting past analyst estimates for $5.4 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Speaking a year after the shooting, police described the investigation as "complex" and that building its case "does take time".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Their one source of supply, Bear Stearns, suddenly seemed more interested in shooting than in trading with them.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
