fusillade

IPA/ˌfjuːzəˈleɪd/
KK[fjˈusɪlˌed]IPA/ˈfjuːsəlɑːd/

fusillade — noun

  • fusilladesingular
  • fusilladesplural

1. an intense, rapid burst of gunfire from many weapons firing at once, or a sudden

1.nounC2
Definition

an intense, rapid burst of gunfire from many weapons firing at once, or a sudden flood of words, questions, or objects aimed at a person

Example

A fusillade of stones rained down on the troops from the ridge.

fusillade of + [projectile noun]: stones, bullets, arrows

Tendai faced a fusillade of angry questions at the town hall meeting.

Common collocations
  • a fusillade of bullets
  • a fusillade of shots
  • a fusillade of questions
  • a fusillade of criticism
  • face a fusillade
  • unleash a fusillade
Synonyms
  • barrage

    more sustained and prolonged; less emphasis on suddenness

  • volley

    specifically a simultaneous discharge of shots; more literal, less figurative

  • salvo

    simultaneous firing, often ceremonial or as a salute; less intense

  • hail

    purely figurative, emphasising density like falling hail; not used for gunfire in modern English

Antonyms
  • trickle

    a slow, sparse flow — the opposite of a concentrated burst

Grammar Patterns

a fusillade + of + noun

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'of' + noun. The noun can be concrete (bullets, stones) or abstract (questions, criticism). Unlike 'barrage,' fusillade suggests a short, concentrated burst rather than sustained fire.

Common Mistakes

The soldiers endured a fusillade for three hours.
The soldiers endured a barrage for three hours.
'fusillade' describes a short, concentrated burst; use 'barrage' for sustained fire over time.

Word family

  • fusilier
    nounC2
  • fusil
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fusillade emphasises a sudden, concentrated burst — imagine a row of muskets firing all at once. Barrage suggests sustained, heavy fire over a longer period (an artillery barrage can last hours). Volley is the most literal term for a simultaneous discharge of shots, often used in military or sports contexts (a volley of arrows; a volley of tennis shots). Salvo shares the simultaneous-firing meaning but often carries a ceremonial or formal tone (a 21-gun salvo). Hail is purely figurative, stressing the density and downward force of what is coming — you face a hail of abuse, not a hail of gunfire (in modern usage). Example: 'The spokesperson faced a fusillade of questions the moment she stepped out' (sudden, intense burst) vs. 'The troops endured a barrage of shelling through the night' (sustained, prolonged).

barrage ↗volley ↗salvo ↗hail ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a fusillade of bullets/shots/stones
  • a fusillade of questions/criticism/insults
  • face a fusillade
  • unleash a fusillade

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From French fusillade, from fusiller ('to shoot'), which derives from fusil ('flintlock rifle'). The French fusil traces back through Vulgar Latin focilis to Latin focus ('hearth, fire'), as early firearms used a spark-striking mechanism. The word entered English in the early 1800s, first describing concentrated musket fire before broadening to any rapid, intense succession of things.

First known use

1801

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1a