Shoot to kill

Question

Although it's been my understanding that “to shoot so.” means “to fire a bullet at so.” without necessarily killing the person, I'm now wondering whether “to shoot so.” can – depending on the context – also have the same meaning as “to shoot so. to death”?

Thanks for your time!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I apologize for posting in the wrong forum. “General English Vocabulary & Idiom Questions” is where my question belongs.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

"shoot to kill" means to aim at a part of the body (the head) so that the shot will be fatal.
The alternative is where the purpose is to take the suspect down, but not to kill him.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much for your quick reply, AlpheccaStars (-:

So, am I right that “to shoot so.” can (sometimes) have the same meaning as “to shoot so. to death” or “killing so. by shooting at him/her”?

Anonymous · Answer

Let me give you an example: “At a panel discussion in San Diego Tuesday, a top Marine general tells an audience that, among other things, it is ‘fun to shoot some people.’”
Did he say that killing (some) people is fun, or did he say that it's fun to fire at people?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Anonymousit is ‘fun to shoot some people.’”

I suppose that some would be killed, some wounded, and the rest, lucky.

I cannot imagine anyone thinking that this is "fun."

Anonymous · Answer

What would be the correct way to paraphrase the quoted statement (“It is fun to shoot some people.”)?

1: “It is fun to kill a bunch of people.”
2: “It is fun to fire at certain people.”
3. Both of the above.
4. Neither of the above.

Thanks again.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

4

Shoot to kill

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