gunfire

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The firing of guns, or the sound of shots being fired, especially several in a row.

   Grammar: No plural and no a/an: we heard gunfire, not a gunfire.

   Patterns

   • exchange gunfire
   • hear gunfire
   • come under gunfire

   Residents were woken by gunfire in the early morning.

   The two sides exchanged gunfire across the river for an hour.

   Gunfire echoed through the valley after the signal.

2. 2noununcountable

   Shooting aimed at a target or person, especially during fighting.

   Grammar: Often follows under or by: under gunfire, killed by gunfire.

   Patterns

   • under gunfire
   • by gunfire

   The convoy came under heavy gunfire near the border.

   Several people were wounded by gunfire during the protest.

   Reporters sheltered behind a wall to avoid gunfire.

Common combinations

exchange gunfire

Police and the suspects exchanged gunfire outside the warehouse.

come under gunfire

The patrol came under gunfire as it crossed the bridge.

heavy gunfire

Heavy gunfire kept the rescuers away for hours.

burst of gunfire

A sudden burst of gunfire sent people running for cover.

the sound of gunfire

The sound of gunfire grew louder as they approached the town.

open gunfire

Soldiers opened gunfire on the approaching vehicle.

Synonyms and how they differ

shooting

Shooting can refer to a single incident or event, while gunfire stresses the continuing sound or volley of shots.

shelling

Shelling means attack with large explosive shells from heavy weapons, whereas gunfire usually means smaller weapons such as rifles.

firing

Firing is the general act of discharging weapons and can be neutral, while gunfire often sounds more dramatic and is common in news reports.

crossfire

Crossfire means shots coming from opposing sides at once, so it is narrower than gunfire.

Opposites

Word family

gun noun

a weapon that shoots bullets

fire verb

to shoot a weapon

gunman noun

a person who uses a gun to commit a crime or attack

gunshot noun

a single firing of a gun, or its sound

gunpowder noun

an explosive powder used in guns and fireworks

Commonly confused: gunfire or gunshot?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “gunfire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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