shotgun

noun
UK: /ˈʃɒt.ɡʌn/
US: /ˈʃɑːt.ɡʌn/

  1. A long gun that you hold against your shoulder and that shoots many small, round pieces.

    1. He used a shotgun to hunt birds in the forest last year. [ ] [ ]
    2. The robber threatened the shop assistant with a shotgun, demanding all the money. [ ] [ ]

  2. A forceful and often undirected approach to something, involving the use of a wide range of methods.

    1. They took a shotgun approach to marketing, trying everything at once. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company's shotgun strategy, while expensive, eventually led to some breakthroughs. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

scattergun rifle firearm
shotgun verb

  1. To shoot someone with a shotgun.

    1. He shotgunned the lock to open it quickly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The farmer threatened to shotgun anyone trespassing on his land after dark. [ ] [ ]

  2. To travel in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.

    1. I called shotgun for the ride to the beach today. [ ] [ ]
    2. She always calls shotgun, so I never get to control the radio anymore. [ ] [ ]
shotgun adjective

  1. Done using a wide range of methods without focus.

    1. The company used a shotgun approach to advertising. [ ] [ ]
    2. Their shotgun marketing campaign was very expensive. [ ] [ ]
shotgun intransitive-verb

  1. To travel in the front passenger seat.

    1. I shotgunned the ride home, after a long day. [ ] [ ]
    2. She shotgunned so quickly; I did not get a chance. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shotgun" in English means: A long gun that you hold against your shoulder and that shoots many small, round pieces., A forceful and often undirected approach to something, involving the use of a wide range of methods..

The phonetic transcription of "shotgun" is /ˈʃɒt.ɡʌn/ in British English and /ˈʃɑːt.ɡʌn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shotgun": scattergun, rifle, firearm.

Example usage of "shotgun": "He used a shotgun to hunt birds in the forest last year.". More examples on the page.