Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

shoot - thesaurus entry
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

verb
  1. 1
    to fire a gun

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

    To use a gun: aim, cock, cover, discharge, fight, fire, fire off, let off, load, open up... more
    1. a.
      used about other weapons that fire things, for example a bow and arrow

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      Supplying and using weapons and explosives: arm, armament, armed, armorer, brandish, defuse, deploy, detonation, draw, duel... more
    2. b.
      to hit someone or something with a bullet from a gun

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      To shoot someone or something: shoot, blast, spray, pick off, blow away, take down, plug, strafe, rake, blow someone’s brains out... more
    3. c.
      to hunt animals using guns, or to fire guns for pleasure

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      Hunting, shooting and fishing: angling, bag, bait, big game, bite, bite, blood sports, capture, cast, cast... more
  2. 2
    in a sport, to throw or kick a ball in an attempt to score points

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

    To kick or hit a ball in a game or sport: strike at, kick, play, knock, cross, pass, dribble, smash, hook, shoot... more
    1. a.
      in golf, to get a particular score

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      Golf: ace, ace, backswing, birdie, birdie, bogey, bogey, bogie, bunker, caddy... more
    2. b.
      to play a particular sport

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      To take part in a competition or game: play, race, meet, contest, represent, take up, face, enter, ride, duel... more
  3. 3
    to move very suddenly and quickly

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

    To move somewhere quickly: fly, hasten, speed, dart, outpace, charge, be quick on your feet, race, gallop, surge... more
    1. a.
      to move something quickly and suddenly

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      To move something quickly: fling, skim, slide, whisk, pop, shove, zip, whip, flick, zap... more
    2. b.
      to direct something somewhere suddenly or with a lot of force

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      To move, or to try to move something by pushing: push, shove, heave, thrust aside, prod, jar, jab, thrust, shoulder, strain... more
    3. c.
      informal to happen very suddenly and quickly

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

      To happen quickly or unexpectedly: turn up, spring, sneak up, shoot, strike, supervene, drop/fall into/land in someone’s lap, take/catch someone by surprise, gather pace, present itself... more
  4. 4
    to take photographs, or to make a movie or video

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

    To take and develop photographs: blow up, capture, come out, compose, develop, expose, fix, focus, pap, photograph... more
  5. 5
    informal if you shoot a drug, you put it into your body with a needle

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of shoot*

    To buy or use illegal drugs: abuse, come down, deal, do, dope, drop, jack up, lace, mainline, OD... more

phrases

These are synonyms and/or related words for shoot in the American English Thesaurus. View synonyms and/or related words for shoot in the British English Thesaurus.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

dray

a type of cart pulled by a horse and used in the past for carrying barrels of beer

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog