1 C1 informal
To fire a gun or weapon, especially rapidly or without full control.
"The soldier gunned off several rounds before the enemy retreated."
inseparable
gun off
C1 informal inseparable transitive/intransitive
To fire a gun or shoot rapidly; also used informally to mean to speak aggressively or impulsively.
In plain English
To shoot a gun, or to say something angry very quickly without thinking.
What does "gun off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To speak angrily or impulsively, losing control of one's words.
"He gunned off at the referee before his teammates could stop him."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fire a gun so that it goes off.
Actually means
To shoot a gun, or to say something angry very quickly without thinking.
Usage tip
Relatively rare and regional. The sense of rapid aggressive speech is more common in some North American dialects. Not widely found in standard dictionaries; learners should be aware it may sound unusual in many contexts.
Words that pair with "gun off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
mouth rounds shots response temper
How to conjugate "gun off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
gun off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
guns off
he/she/it
Past simple
guned off
yesterday
Past participle
guned off
have + pp
-ing form
guning off
continuous
Hear "gun off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "gun off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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