shot
[noun]
Synonyms:
- throw, discharge, lob, pot shot
- pellet, ball, bullet, lead, projectile, slug
- marksman, shooter
- attempt, effort, endeavour, go (informal), stab (informal), try, turn

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English Thesaurus: break, smash, snap, split, fracture, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. shot¹ S2 W2 /ʃɒt $ ʃɑːt/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: scot]

1. GUN [countable]
a) an act of firing a gun:
He pulled out his rifle and fired three shots.
She was killed by a single shot to the head.
b) the sound of a gun being fired:
Where were you when you heard the shot?
c) a good/bad etc shot someone who is good, bad etc at shooting:
Sergeant Cooper is an excellent shot.

2. BULLETS [uncountable]
a) small metal balls that are shot, many at a time, from a shotgun
b) old use large metal balls that are shot from a cannon

3. ATTEMPT TO SCORE [countable] an attempt in sport to throw, kick, or hit the ball towards the place where you can get a point:
Shaw took a shot at the goal from the halfway line, but missed.
Good shot!

4. PHOTOGRAPH [countable] a photograph Synonym : picture
shot of
a close-up shot of a demonstrator being beaten by a policeman
I managed to get some good shots of the carnival.
We hired a photographer to take some publicity shots.
action shots of football players (=ones taken of people while they are moving) ⇒ mugshot

5. FILM/TV [countable] the view of something in a film or television programme that is produced by having the camera in a particular position:
In the opening shot, we see Travolta’s feet walking down the sidewalk.

6. ATTEMPT [countable] informal an attempt to do something or achieve something, especially something difficult
shot at (doing) something
This is her first shot at directing a play.
If Lewis won his next fight, he would be guaranteed a shot at the title (=chance to win the title).
I decided to have a shot at decorating the house myself.
I didn’t think I had much chance of winning the race, but I thought I’d give it a shot (=try to do it).
The network finally gave Keaton a shot at presenting his own show.

7. give something your best shot to make as much effort as you can to achieve something difficult:
This case is going to be tough, but I promise I’ll give it my best shot.
Lydia didn’t get the job, but at least she gave it her best shot.

8. be a long shot
a) used to say that a plan is worth trying, even though you think it is unlikely to succeed:
It’s a long shot, but someone might recognise her from the photo and be able to tell us where she lives.
b) American English if someone is a long shot, they are not likely to be chosen for a job or to win an election, competition etc:
Turner is a long shot to win next month’s mayoral election.

9. a 10 to 1 shot/50 to 1 shot etc a horse, dog etc in a race, whose chances of winning are expressed as numbers

10. a shot in the dark an attempt to guess something without having any facts or definite ideas:
My answer to the last question was a complete shot in the dark.

11. CRITICAL REMARK [countable] a remark that is intended to criticize or hurt someone:
I’m not going to sit here listening to you two take shots at each other all night.
She couldn’t resist a parting shot (=one that you make just before you leave) – ‘And you were a lousy lover!’
That was a cheap shot (=one that is unfair and unreasonable)!

12. like a shot if you do something like a shot, you do it very quickly and eagerly:
If he asked me to go to Africa with him, I’d go like a shot!

13. a shot across the bows/a warning shot (across the bows) something you say or do to warn someone that you oppose what they are doing and will try to make them stop it – used especially in news reports:
The president’s own supporters are firing a warning shot across his bows.

14. big shot an important or powerful person, especially in business:
a big shot in the record business

15. DRINK [countable] a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink
shot of
a shot of tequila
a shot glass (=a small glass for strong alcoholic drinks)

16. DRUG [countable] especially American English an injection of a drug (=when it is put into the body with a needle) Synonym : jab British English:
Have you had your typhoid and cholera shots?

17. a shot in the arm something that makes you more confident or more successful:
The new factory will give the local economy a much-needed shot in the arm.

18. HEAVY BALL [countable] a heavy metal ball that competitors try to throw as far as possible in the sport of shot put
⇒ call the shots at call¹(9), ⇒ by a long chalk/shot at long¹(21), ⇒ long shot at long¹(18), ⇒ buckshot, gunshot, snapshot, pot shot

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. shot² adjective [not before noun]

1. spoken in bad condition because of being used too much or treated badly:
My back tires are shot.
My nerves were shot to pieces after my driving test.

2. be/get/want shot of somebody/something British English spoken to get rid or want to get rid of someone or something:
I know the director wants shot of me.

3. be shot through with something
a) if a piece of cloth is shot through with a colour, it has very small threads of that colour woven into it:
a fine silk shot through with gold threads
b) to have a lot of a particular quality or feeling:
a charming collection of stories, shot through with a gentle humour

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. shot³
the past tense and past participle of shoot

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

shot
noun
I. act of firing a gun
ADJ. fine, good | lucky | random | fatal | warning | first, opening (often figurative) the opening shot in the party election campaign
cannon, gun, pistol, rifle I heard a pistol shot.
QUANT. series, volley A volley of shots rang out.
VERB + SHOT aim | fire, take I took a few more shots at the target, but missed every time.
SHOT + VERB ring out | hit sb/sth, strike sb/sth The shot hit him in the upper chest.
kill sb/sth | miss (sb/sth)
PREP. ~ from a shot from his semi-automatic rifle
~ to She was killed by a single shot to the head.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shot
II. person who shoots a gun, etc.
ADJ. crack, good, excellent She is a crack shot with a rifle.
bad, poor

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shot
III. act of kicking/hitting a ball
ADJ. fine, good, great, superb | poor, wayward | long
VERB + SHOT crack/get in, have, take, try Go on?take another shot.
miss | mishit | block, parry, save The goalkeeper parried his first shot but he scored from the rebound.
SHOT + VERB be on target | go wide, miss My first shot went wide, but my second was right on target.
PREP. ~ at/on Their captain tried a long shot on goal.
~ from his right-footed shot from outside the penalty area a superb shot from Rivaldo
 ⇒ Special page at SPORT

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shot
IV. photograph; picture in a film
ADJ. camera | aerial, close-up, long, still, tracking, wide-angle, zoom | location | opening | action, crowd | fashion, publicity | cover
VERB + SHOT get, take I got some great shots of the runners as they crossed the line.
SHOT + VERB show sth a wide-angle shot showing the Houses of Parliament
PREP. ~ from a shot from a low angle
~ of a publicity shot of the band performing

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shot
V. injection of a drug
ADJ. booster
VERB + SHOT give sb | get, have Have you had all your shots for your holiday yet?
PREP. ~ of a shot of penicillin The applause acted on her like a shot of adrenalin.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shot

fire a shot
The passenger in the car fired three shots.
take a shot at somebody (=fire a shot trying to hit someone)
Someone took a shot at her, but missed.
a shot hits somebody/something
The shot hit the burglar in the chest and killed him instantly.
a shot misses somebody/something (=doesn’t hit them)
The first shot missed my head by inches.
a shot rings out (=is heard)
Suddenly, two shots rang out.
a pistol/rifle shot
A pistol shot rang out in the darkness.
a single shot (=just one shot)
He died from a single shot to his heart.
the fatal shot (=the shot that killed someone)
It wasn’t clear who had fired the fatal shot.
a warning shot (=one fired as a warning to someone)
Police fired warning shots into the air.
a good shot (=one that hits what you aim at)
It was difficult to get a good shot in the dense forest.
a volley of shots (=a number of shots fired quickly)
He fired off a volley of shots from his rifle.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

break verb [transitive] to damage something and make it separate into pieces, for example by dropping it or hitting it:
Careful you don’t break the chair.
He broke his leg.
smash verb [transitive] to break something with a lot of force:
A policeman smashed his camera.
snap verb [transitive] to break something into two pieces, making a loud noise – used especially about long thin objects:
He snapped the sticks in two.
split verb [transitive] to separate something into two pieces along a straight line:
Using a sharp knife, split the melon in half.
fracture verb [transitive] to damage a bone, especially so that a line appears on the surface:
I fell over and fractured my wrist.
tear /teə $ ter/ verb [transitive] to damage paper or cloth by pulling it so that it separates into pieces:
She tore up the letter and put it in the bin.
I tore my jacket.
photograph a picture taken using a camera:
Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the museum.
our wedding photographs
photo informal a photograph:
a way of displaying your digital photos
Do you want me to take your photo?
picture a photograph of someone or something:
I saw her picture in the paper the other day.
This is a really good picture of Sarah.
Can I take your picture?
shot informal a photograph – used especially by people who often take photographs:
I got some great shots of Mount Fuji.
It's a lovely shot.
print a photograph that has been printed on photographic paper:
a set of 4 by 6 inch prints

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

photograph a picture taken using a camera:
Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the museum.
our wedding photographs
photo informal a photograph:
a way of displaying your digital photos
Do you want me to take your photo?
picture a photograph of someone or something:
I saw her picture in the paper the other day.
This is a really good picture of Sarah.
Can I take your picture?
snap British English informal, snapshot especially American English a photograph that you take quickly and without thinking carefully about how it will look, for example when you are on holiday:
Patrick showed me his holiday snaps.
She showed me a snapshot of her three children.
shot informal a photograph – used especially by people who often take photographs:
I got some great shots of Mount Fuji.
It's a lovely shot.
print a photograph that has been printed on photographic paper:
a set of 4 by 6 inch prints
take a photograph
He wanted to take a photograph of me.
get a photograph (=take one successfully)
I got some brilliant photographs of the desert.
a colour photograph
The book is fully illustrated with colour photographs.
a black-and-white photograph
a digital photograph
a framed photograph
On the desk was a framed photograph of a woman.
a signed photograph
He keeps a signed photograph of Bill Clinton in his office.
a wedding photograph
Your wedding photographs will keep the memories of the big day alive for you.
an aerial photograph (=one taken from a plane)
Aerial photographs can be used to locate archaeological sites.
faded
All her life she kept a faded photograph of him in his army uniform.
blurred
He was shown a blurred photograph, taken from a moving car.
grainy (=with a rough, not sharp, appearance)
I stared at the grainy newspaper photograph, searching for my mother.
sepia (=used about a black and white photograph that has shades of brown, in a way that is typical of old photographs)
an 1854 sepia photograph of Jonathan Pickering, the company founder
a photograph album (=a book in which you put photographs)
Mama kept a photograph album full of pictures of her family.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

shot
̈ɪʃɔt
See: big cheese or big shot , by a long shot , call one's shot , call the shots , foul shot , long shot

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲