sharpshooting
sharpshooting — noun
1. the activity or skill of firing a gun with very high accuracy, often over long d
the activity or skill of firing a gun with very high accuracy, often over long distances, whether in sport, military operations, or hunting — a sharpshooter can hit a small target that most people would miss.
Henrik won the sharpshooting competition by hitting a coin-sized target from fifty metres away.
collocation: sharpshooting competition
The army sent its best soldiers for sharpshooting training in the hills last winter.
collocation: sharpshooting training
Gabriela practises sharpshooting every weekend at a range outside the city.
In the 19th century, sharpshooting became a popular skill among hunters on the frontier.
- marksmanship
broader term covering any accurate shooting, including rifles, pistols, and bows; sharpshooting emphasises extreme precision, often at long range
- sniping
more specific to military or assassination contexts where the shooter is concealed; sharpshooting can be a sport
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun; you cannot say 'a sharpshooting'. The person who performs sharpshooting is a sharpshooter.
常見錯誤
2. the act of directing clever, critical, or sharply worded remarks at someone, oft
the act of directing clever, critical, or sharply worded remarks at someone, often in a debate, article, or public argument — like a verbal version of sharpshooting, the comments are precise and aimed to wound.
The journalist used sharpshooting in interviews, hitting every weak point with one question.
figurative use: political interviews
Maeve's sharpshooting during the debate left both opponents struggling to respond.
Columnists in the capital have turned sharpshooting into entertainment, attacking each other in print.
Sayaka smiled at her brother's sharpshooting comment but refused to argue back.
- verbal sparring
implies a back-and-forth exchange rather than one-sided criticism; sharpshooting suggests more precision
- sarcasm
broader — any form of cutting humour; sharpshooting emphasises the targeted, deliberate nature of the attack
- praise
compliments instead of criticism
用法筆記
This figurative sense is most common in journalism and political commentary. The physical act (sense 1) is more frequent in everyday speech about shooting sports.