English Reference
noun · adjective

shooting

n. · adj.
US /ˈʃutɪŋ/ UK /ʃˈuːtɪŋ/ shoot·ing UK spelling shootings

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.an event where someone fires a gun, often resulting in injury or death.

    n.an instance of discharging a firearm, typically used in news reporting to describe violent incidents.

    Simple

    The local news reported a shooting that happened downtown late last night.

    In context

    Police cordoned off the entire block following a shooting that left several bystanders injured during the morning rush hour.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Theatre

    n.the process of recording a film or television show.

    n.the production phase of a film or television project where principal photography occurs.

    Simple

    The shooting of the new action movie will take place in London this summer.

    In context

    The director insisted on a night shooting to capture the authentic atmosphere of the city's neon-lit streets.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    n.the activity or sport of using a gun to hit targets or hunt animals.

    n.the sport or recreational activity of firing a weapon at targets or game animals.

    Simple

    He spends his weekends at the club practicing his target shooting.

    In context

    The estate offers various outdoor activities, including clay pigeon shooting and guided deer stalks during the winter months.

    marksmanshiphunting
  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    adj.a sharp pain that moves very quickly through a part of your body.

    adj.describing a sudden, intense, and radiating sensation of physical pain.

    Simple

    She felt a shooting pain in her leg when she tried to stand up.

    In context

    The patient complained of a shooting pain that originated in the lower back and travelled down to the ankle.

Usage shooting took

He concluded that a silencer had not been used in the shooting of Caffell.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

The wife of a teacher killed in the Debsirin Nonthaburi school shooting weeps.

The Guardian· 12 Aug 2026

From Middle English shoting, schoting, from Old English scotung (“shooting”), from Proto-Germanic *skutungō, equivalent to shoot + -ing. Cognate with Dutch schieting, German Erschießung (“shooting”), Swedish skjutning (“shooting”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin gem-pro *skutungō
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated