shoot
shoot — verb
1. To use a gun to send a bullet, or a bow to send an arrow, usually aiming at a pe
To use a gun to send a bullet, or a bow to send an arrow, usually aiming at a person, animal, or target and possibly hitting or injuring them.
The hunter aimed carefully and shot at the wild boar.
shoot at + target
Naoko accidentally shot herself in the foot while cleaning the rifle.
During the battle, three soldiers were shot and taken to the hospital.
Obi raised his bow and shot an arrow straight at the round target.
The security guard fired a warning shot but did not want to shoot anyone.
- spare
to choose not to kill or harm when one could
文法句型
shoot + at + target
shoot + target
shoot + weapon
用法筆記
Frequently used with at to indicate the direction of fire (shoot at something) without confirming a hit, or transitively (shoot something) when the target is struck.
常見錯誤
2. In team sports such as basketball, football, or hockey, to send the game piece —
In team sports such as basketball, football, or hockey, to send the game piece — a ball or a puck — toward the scoring area in order to earn points.
Minho shot the ball from just outside the three-point line.
shoot + ball (basketball context)
Maeve shot at the goal but the goalkeeper caught the ball easily.
With only seconds left on the clock, Christopher shot and scored the winning point.
Padma passed the puck across the ice, and Emre shot it straight into the net.
文法句型
shoot + ball/puck
shoot at + goal
shoot and score
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (WEAPON): in sports contexts, shoot has no connection to firearms. The object is a ball, puck, or similar game item aimed at scoring points.
3. To take part in the sport of basketball, especially in an informal or practice s
To take part in the sport of basketball, especially in an informal or practice setting rather than a full organised game.
Joshua and his friends went to the park to shoot after school.
shoot = play basketball informally
Sirin spends every Saturday morning shooting at the local court with her brother.
Do you want to shoot some hoops before dinner this evening?
The children grabbed a ball and headed to the playground to shoot.
- play basketball
more explicit and neutral in register
- shoot hoops
the fuller idiomatic expression; slightly more conversational
文法句型
shoot (no object)
shoot some hoops
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive and informal. The fuller phrase shoot hoops or shoot some hoops is more common than using shoot alone to mean play basketball.
4. To travel at great speed straight along a path or toward a specific spot, as if
To travel at great speed straight along a path or toward a specific spot, as if suddenly launched from one point to another.
A small cat shot across the street and disappeared into the bushes.
shoot across + place
Mira watched the meteor shoot through the night sky before it faded from view.
Élise felt a sharp pain shoot up her arm after lifting the heavy box.
The roller coaster shot down the steep track at terrifying speed.
Flames suddenly shot out from the back of the old engine.
- creep
to move slowly and carefully, often with stealth
文法句型
shoot + adverb/preposition (direction)
shoot + across/past/through/up/down
用法筆記
Usually paired with a directional adverb or preposition (across, past, through, up, down, out). Can describe physical movement, light, or bodily sensation such as pain.
5. To travel quickly past or through a particular point, obstacle, or area, often w
To travel quickly past or through a particular point, obstacle, or area, often with a sense of passing by or traversing something.
The speedboat shot past the dock and out into the open lake.
shoot past + place
Experienced kayakers love to shoot the rapids on this dangerous river.
shoot the rapids (fixed phrase)
Naoko shot through the airport terminal to reach her gate before the flight left.
The racing car shot past Emre at over three hundred kilometres per hour.
- zoom past
informal; emphasises speed with a whistling quality
- fly past
suggests smoothness as well as speed
- race through
suggests urgency and active effort
文法句型
shoot + past/through + noun
shoot the rapids
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (DART): sense 4 focuses on the speed and direction of movement, whereas this sense specifically involves going past or through a point, obstacle, or area.
6. To operate a photographic or video device in order to create moving pictures, a
To operate a photographic or video device in order to create moving pictures, a television show, or still images — recording whatever is in front of the lens.
The director shot the entire scene in a single take without any cuts.
shoot + scene/film
Padma shot hundreds of photos during her trip to the mountains.
This documentary was shot on a small smartphone over two years.
Christopher spent the summer shooting a short film about his hometown.
The wedding photographer shot beautiful portraits of the couple at sunset.
- film
specifically creating a movie or video; less common for still photography
- record
broader in scope — can include audio and video without a traditional camera
- photograph
limited to still images rather than moving pictures
文法句型
shoot + film/movie/scene
shoot + subject
shoot on + camera/phone/film
用法筆記
Common in filmmaking and photography. The past participle is shot (not 'shooted') — a frequent learner error. Can take a direct object (shoot a scene) or be used with on (shot on digital film).
常見錯誤
7. to join in a pastime where you hit a ball across a table (like pool) or throw di
to join in a pastime where you hit a ball across a table (like pool) or throw dice (like craps)
Every Friday night, Sahil and his friends shoot pool at the local bar.
Ryan lost twenty dollars shooting craps at the casino last weekend.
collocation: shoot craps
The old-timers at the club spend their afternoons shooting dice in the back room.
Hao learned to shoot pool from his grandfather when he was twelve.
- play
more general — shoot specifies particular table or dice games
文法句型
shoot + game name (pool, craps, dice)
shoot (without object, for dice games)
用法筆記
Often used with the name of the game as the direct object: shoot pool, shoot craps, shoot dice. Without an object, it usually refers to rolling dice in craps.
常見錯誤
8. to put an illegal substance into your bloodstream through a needle
to put an illegal substance into your bloodstream through a needle
The documentary showed how addicts shoot heroin in abandoned buildings.
Police arrested a man who was shooting up in the public restroom.
phrasal verb: shoot up
Recovery programs help people stop shooting drugs and start new lives.
A young couple lost their home after one of them started shooting heroin.
- inject
neutral register — shoot is informal and strongly associated with illegal drug use
文法句型
shoot + drug (heroin, cocaine)
shoot up (intransitive phrasal verb)
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'up' as an intransitive phrasal verb ('shoot up'). The object is always an illegal drug. For medical injections, use sense 10 instead.
常見錯誤
9. to send words, looks, light, or flame outward with quick, strong force — for exa
to send words, looks, light, or flame outward with quick, strong force — for example, shooting a sudden question at someone or flames from a damaged engine
The teacher shot a disapproving look at the students who were whispering.
collocation: shoot a look
Takeshi shot questions at the speaker faster than he could answer them.
pattern: shoot + questions + at + person
A flame shot out from the engine, and the pilot hit the alarm.
Élise shot back a reply before anyone else in the room could speak.
Christopher shot a quick glance at the clock on the wall.
文法句型
shoot + noun phrase (look, question, flame) + prepositional phrase
shoot back + reply
用法筆記
The subject can be a person (sending looks or words) or an object (emitting light or flame). Common direct objects include: look, glance, question, flame, reply.
常見錯誤
10. to put a liquid medicine or vaccine into a person's or animal's body using a nee
to put a liquid medicine or vaccine into a person's or animal's body using a needle — for example, a nurse shooting a painkiller into a patient's arm
The nurse shot the vaccine into a child's arm before she felt any pain.
pattern: shoot + vaccine + into + body part
The veterinarian shot the sedative into the horse's neck muscle.
Bilal needs to be shot with insulin every morning before breakfast.
Sirin watched the doctor shoot the anesthetic into her mother's IV line.
- inject
more formal and general — shoot is colloquial
文法句型
shoot + substance + into + person/body part
shoot + person + with + substance
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 8: this sense is neutral and medical, referring to vaccines, painkillers, or other legal medicines. Sense 8 is limited to illegal drugs.
常見錯誤
11. to produce new stems or leaves that grow out from a plant's existing body — for
to produce new stems or leaves that grow out from a plant's existing body — for example, a rose bush shooting new branches after spring rain
The rose bush shot up new green branches after the spring rain.
collocation: shoot up (of plant growth)
Ayana noticed that her bamboo plant had shot a new stem overnight.
The old tree shot out fresh leaves even though its trunk was hollow.
Eve's tomato plants shot up so fast they needed bigger pots.
文法句型
shoot up/out (of plants)
shoot + new + stems/branches/leaves
用法筆記
Intransitive. Often used with 'up' or 'out' to describe rapid plant growth. The subject is always a plant or plant part.
常見錯誤
shoot — noun
1. a new, young stem or growth that appears on a plant, rising from a seed that has
a new, young stem or growth that appears on a plant, rising from a seed that has begun to grow or from an existing stem or root
After the spring rain, tiny green shoots appeared in Mira's vegetable garden.
countable: a shoot / shoots
The gardener carefully cut away the dead leaves to make room for new shoots.
Bao noticed that a shoot had grown from the side of the old rose bush.
These bamboo shoots can grow more than thirty centimetres in a single day.
- root
the part of the plant that grows underground, not above the surface
文法句型
shoot + of + noun
adjective + shoot
用法筆記
Often used with the name of the plant (bamboo shoot, rose shoot) to identify which plant the new growth belongs to.
常見錯誤
2. a planned event in which a photographer takes pictures or records video of a per
a planned event in which a photographer takes pictures or records video of a person, group, or scene, typically for a magazine, advertisement, film, or special occasion
The fashion magazine planned a two-day shoot on a beach in Thailand.
compound: fashion shoot, photo shoot
Élise was nervous before her first professional photo shoot for the university brochure.
The film crew completed the final shoot of the commercial just before sunset.
Gita's wedding shoot lasted four hours and included pictures at four different locations.
- photo session
more general, can be informal; 'photo shoot' is the more common and standard term in the industry
- filming
specifically for video, not still photographs
文法句型
photo shoot
fashion shoot
film shoot
用法筆記
Often combined with a noun describing the subject (fashion shoot, wedding shoot, portrait shoot). Shoots can be for still photography or video filming.
常見錯誤
3. a planned hunting trip where participants use guns to kill wild birds or animals
a planned hunting trip where participants use guns to kill wild birds or animals, often done as a sport
The annual pheasant shoot in the countryside attracts hunters from across the region.
compound: pheasant shoot / duck shoot
Emre went on his first duck shoot early in the morning with his uncle.
The estate has hosted a traditional shoot every autumn for over fifty years.
Jude decided not to join the shoot because he prefers bird-watching to hunting.
- hunt
a more general term for searching for and killing wild animals; 'shoot' is more specific to using guns in a group event
文法句型
noun + shoot
shoot + of + noun
用法筆記
Especially common in British English. The shoot is the whole event, not a single act of firing. The animal or bird hunted usually appears before the word (a grouse shoot, a duck shoot).
常見錯誤
shoot — exclamation
1. used as an informal way to invite someone to begin speaking, especially when the
used as an informal way to invite someone to begin speaking, especially when they seem to want to say something but are hesitating.
You look like you have a question, Diego — so shoot, I am listening.
exclamation inviting someone to speak freely
Élise kept raising her hand, so the teacher said, "Shoot, what is it?"
Karim looked nervous, so Lien said, "Shoot, I am ready to help."
When the young student paused, Professor Noa smiled gently and said, "Shoot."
I know you have news about the trip, so shoot — do not keep me waiting.
文法句型
used as standalone exclamation
followed by a clause
用法筆記
Always informal. The speaker typically says this when they sense the listener is holding back a question, opinion, or piece of news.