shoot
gb/ʃˈut/ us/ʃˈut/
A2
English
~ 1300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Fire a gun or weapon
To make a gun or other weapon send out a bullet or arrow.
Usage pattern:
to shoot [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shoot' (to fire a weapon) with 'kick' or 'throw' when talking about sports like soccer; context is important.
Synonyms
fire (Commonly used for discharging a gun; slightly more formal in technical contexts.)
Antonyms
holster (Refers to putting away a firearm instead of using it.)
Collocations
shoot a gun
|shoot an arrow
|shoot at
|shoot to kill
|shoot in the leg
Themes
weapons
|crime
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police officer had to shoot in self-defense.
- He learned how to shoot a bow and arrow at camp.
- Someone tried to shoot the president during the parade.
- Hunters often shoot deer in this area.
- She aimed carefully before she decided to shoot.
Learner examples
- He can shoot very well.
- The man will shoot the target.
- She does not want to shoot the animal.
- They learn to shoot arrows at school.
- I see him shoot the ball with a toy gun.
Verb
A2
action
2
Take a photo or video
To use a camera to take a picture or make a video.
Usage pattern:
to shoot [a photo/video/film]
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'shoot' only means with guns; in photography it is unrelated to weapons.
Synonyms
photograph (More formal and specific to still images; 'shoot' can apply to both still and moving images.)
Antonyms
delete (Refers to removing an image instead of capturing one.)
Collocations
shoot a movie
|shoot photos
|shoot on location
|shoot a scene
Themes
media
|arts
|technology
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- They plan to shoot the new commercial next week.
- He loves to shoot wildlife in the national park.
- The director decided to shoot the scene again.
- She shot hundreds of photos during her trip.
- We will shoot the interview in the studio.
Learner examples
- I want to shoot this moment.
- He will shoot many photos of the city.
- She likes to shoot videos of her cat.
- They shoot the film in Paris.
- We can shoot pictures at the park.
Verb
informal
B2
action
3
Move quickly in a direction
To go somewhere very fast and suddenly.
Usage pattern:
to shoot [somewhere/forward/up]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'run' — 'shoot' here is more sudden and quick than continuous running.
Synonyms
dart (Emphasizes quick, sudden movement, often smaller scale.)
Antonyms
crawl (Very slow movement, opposite of 'shoot' in this sense.)
Collocations
shoot past
|shoot up
|shoot across
Themes
movement
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The car shot past us on the highway.
- Pain shot through his leg when he stood up.
- She shot out of the room without saying goodbye.
- A star shot across the night sky.
- His hand shot up when the teacher asked a question.
Learner examples
- The train shot past the station.
- He shot up from his chair.
- A bird shot across the sky.
- My friend shot into the room.
- Her hand shot up quickly.
interjection
informal
A2
action
4
Mild exclamation of annoyance
A word you say when something goes wrong, but it's not serious.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this relates to guns; here it is unrelated and just an expression of feeling.
Synonyms
darn (Similar mild exclamation; slightly more old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
hooray (An exclamation of joy, opposite in emotional tone.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Shoot! I forgot my keys at home.
- Oh, shoot, I missed the bus!
- Shoot, I spilled coffee on my shirt.
Learner examples
- Shoot! I lost my phone.
- Oh shoot, I am late.
- Shoot, I dropped my pen.
Noun
B1
entity
5
New plant growth from stem
A new part growing from a plant or tree.
Synonyms
sprout ('Sprout' can refer more generally to any new growth, while 'shoot' can be more specific in botany.)
Antonyms
wilt ('Wilt' refers to withering rather than new growth.)
Collocations
new shoot
|green shoots
|bamboo shoot
Themes
nature
|plants
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The gardener noticed new shoots coming up in spring.
- Bamboo shoots are used in many Asian dishes.
- A green shoot appeared after weeks of watering.
Learner examples
- I see a green shoot on the plant.
- The tree has many new shoots.
- We eat bamboo shoots in soup.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shoot
IPA
GB/ʃˈut/
US/ʃˈut/
Syllables & stress
shoot (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shoot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shoot
- Plural: shoots
Verb
- Base: shoot
- 3rd Person Singular: shoots
- Present Participle: shooting
- Past: shot
- Past Participle: shot
Word family
Forms
Core family
shooter
noun
Related words
reshoot
verb
shootout
noun
Advanced or less common
sharpshooter
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: shot Verb
- Irregular past participle: shot Verb
Expressions
shoot down
1/ʃˈut dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Reject an idea strongly and quickly
To say no to an idea or plan right away and strongly.
Examples
- The manager shot down my suggestion immediately.
- Her proposal was shot down during the meeting.
shoot for the stars
1/ʃˈut fɚ ðə stˈɑɹz/
idiom
Aim for very high goals
To try to do something that is very hard or reach something very high in life.
Examples
- You should always shoot for the stars if you want big success.
- She's shooting for the stars with her latest project.
shoot up
1/ʃˈut ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Increase quickly by much
To grow or increase very fast.
Examples
- Prices have shot up since last year.
- Her height shot up when she was 13.
shoot yourself in the foot
1/ʃˈut jʊɹsˈɛlf ˈɪn ðə fˈʊt/
idiom
informal
Accidentally harm own interests
To make a mistake that hurts yourself or your plans.
Examples
- He really shot himself in the foot by insulting his boss.
- Don't shoot yourself in the foot by arriving late to the meeting.
call the shots
1/kˈɔl ðə ʃˈɑts/
idiom
informal
Be in control and make decisions
To be the person who makes the decisions and controls what happens.
Examples
- In this company, it's the CEO who calls the shots.
- In this company, it’s the CEO who calls the shots.
- She likes calling the shots when planning trips.
- You can help, but I’m calling the shots here.