Gunman
ˈɡʌnmən
Definitions
A person who uses a gun, especially a criminal.
ˈɡʌnmən
A person who uses a gun, especially a criminal or hired assassin.
The police are hunting for the gunman.
💡 Simply: A gunman is someone who uses a gun to hurt or scare people, like a bad guy in a movie. Think of someone with a gun causing trouble.
👶 For kids: A gunman is someone who uses a gun to hurt people.
More Examples
The news reported on the search for the bank gunman.
A masked gunman was seen fleeing the scene.
How It's Used
"Police are searching for the gunman who robbed the bank."
"The gunman opened fire on a crowd of people, causing panic."
Idioms & expressions
hold a gun to someone's head
To use threat or coercion to force someone to do something.
"They practically held a gun to my head to get me to sign the contract."
live by the sword, die by the sword
If you live by violence, you may also be killed by violence.
"He lived by violence and eventually died by violence—a clear case of live by the sword, die by the sword."
From 'gun' (a firearm) + 'man'.
The term 'gunman' gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the rise of Western films and stories.
Memory tip
Imagine a man holding a gun, committing a crime. That's a gunman.
Word Origin
"One who uses a gun."