gun down
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To shoot and kill someone with a gun.
Literal meaning: To shoot someone down with a gun — largely transparent.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To shoot and kill or gravely wound a person with a firearm, often in a sudden or brutal manner.
"The witness was gunned down in broad daylight before she could testify."
""He was gunned down outside his Dakota apartment building in New York City.""
— Widely reported in news coverage of John Lennon's assassination, December 1980.
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Common in news reports, crime fiction, and historical accounts. Typically implies a brutal or sudden killing. Often used in passive constructions ('he was gunned down'). Carries a tone of violence and urgency. Not used in formal or euphemistic contexts.
Commonly used with
street gangster soldiers bystander witness outside
Forms
Base
gun down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
guns down
he/she/it
Past simple
guned down
yesterday
Past participle
guned down
have + pp
-ing form
guning down
continuous
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Synonyms
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