Shooting

ˈʃuːtɪŋ

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
4 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

4 meanings
1

The act of firing a projectile from a weapon.

ˈʃuːtɪŋ

verbneutralBeginner
General

The act of firing a weapon.

The police are investigating the shooting.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing basketball. When you throw the ball towards the hoop, that's shooting. It's like sending something flying with force, like a bullet from a gun.

👶 For kids: When you point a gun and make it go 'bang!' to send a bullet. Or when you throw a ball toward a net!

More Examples

2

He was shooting at the targets during the competition.

3

The photographer was shooting pictures of the event.

How It's Used

Military

"The soldiers were shooting at the target during training."

Sports

"He was shooting for the basket."

Criminal Justice

"The police are investigating a recent shooting."

2

An instance of firing a weapon; the act or instance of filming or photographing something.

ˈʃuːtɪŋ

nounnegativeBeginner
General

An instance of firing a weapon.

The news reported a shooting downtown.

💡 Simply: Think of it like this: when someone uses a gun, and a bullet flies out, that's a shooting. Also, taking pictures or videos is called shooting, too.

👶 For kids: When someone shoots a gun or a video camera to take pictures or video.

More Examples

2

The movie's shooting was completed on schedule.

3

The quality of his shooting was outstanding.

How It's Used

News Reporting

"There was a shooting at the school this morning."

Sports

"The team's shooting was off today."

Tip:A shot is taken; it's a 'shooting' (the action).
3

The act of producing a film or photograph.

ˈʃuːtɪŋ

nounneutralBeginner
Arts

The process of taking photographs or videos.

The shooting of the documentary took several months.

💡 Simply: Like when you're making a movie or taking pictures; the whole process of using the camera is called 'shooting'.

👶 For kids: Taking pictures or making videos with a camera!

More Examples

2

They are planning a shooting in the park.

3

The crew is preparing for the shooting.

How It's Used

Film

"The shooting of the new film began last week."

Photography

"The fashion shoot's schedule was very tight."

Tip:Visualize the camera clicking and the video rolling to remember 'shooting'.
4

Related to the act of firing a weapon or the process of taking photos.

ˈʃuːtɪŋ

adjectiveneutralmedium
General

Relating to or involving the firing of a weapon.

The shooting incident is under investigation.

💡 Simply: Imagine something is caused by a gunshot or related to using a camera to capture images; it is described as 'shooting'.

👶 For kids: When something has to do with shooting a gun or taking a picture with a camera.

More Examples

2

She developed a shooting pain in her shoulder.

3

He sustained a shooting injury.

How It's Used

Law

"The investigation involved a shooting incident."

Sports

"His shooting arm was injured."

Tip:The adjective describes something related to the act of 'shooting' or 'filming'.

Idioms & expressions

shooting star

A meteor.

"We saw a shooting star last night."

From Middle English *shotynge*, present participle of *shōten* ('to shoot'), from Old English *scēotan* ('to shoot, dart, move quickly').

The word "shooting" in the context of firing a weapon dates back to Old English, evolving to encompass the action of using a camera in more modern times.

Memory tip

Think of the sound 'shoo' followed by 'ting', representing the projectile leaving the weapon.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"to shoot, dart, move quickly"

school shootingmass shootingshooting rangephoto shootshooting star

Common misspellings

shotingshootting

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written