# volley

/ˈvɑɫi/ (US) · /vˈɒli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/volley
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 4. to fire or send rapidly

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to send out many things, like shots or words, all at once.

For teachers: to discharge or emit in a volley; often used figuratively for the rapid exchange of speech.

- The two speakers volleyed insults at each other during the heated debate.
- The cannons volleyed their thunderous reports across the valley, signaling the start of the final engagement.

## Examples

- She won the point with a powerful volley at the net.
- The politician faced a volley of difficult questions from the press as soon as he stepped off the plane.
- The goalkeeper's spectacular save denied a close-range volley that seemed destined for the top corner, keeping his team's championship hopes alive in the final minutes of the match.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.