Have you seen the expression 'give it a shot' somewhere in a text or online and want to know more about it? The phrase 'give it a shot' is another way to say that someone should give something a try. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and popular use of the saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'give it a shot' is a common figurative English language saying.
'Give it a shot' is used to mean that a person should give something a try.
The phrase can be used as a third-party reference, or said directly to someone in conversation.
The context of what the person should 'give a shot' is either said or implied by the rest of the conversation, often by the speaker.
The phrase can also be used in several negative forms to imply the opposite meaning of the saying, including 'not giving it a shot', 'won't give it a shot' and 'don't give it a shot'.
The phrase does not actually refer to shooting unless the context is appropriate, and the meaning can be used for anything from sports like golf to an implied situation or thing that someone should try.
Similar phrases in the English language can say that someone should 'give something a chance' or 'give something a try'. Someone can also 'give something a go' which means the same.
Example Usage
“All I'm saying is that you should give pineapple on your pizza a shot. It's one of those things that you might very well love if you have never tried it before, and there's only one way to know for sure.”
“Give it a shot. You're never going to know how good you are at competitive naked bowling until you've tried it once.”
“If you want to give it a shot, let me text you his details and you can book your first scuba diving session on Monday.”
“If you've never given it a shot, I think you might like shotgun shooting for fun. I've never met a bigger fan of zombie movies, and you might as well try it to find out if you have got any aim.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the phrase 'give it a shot' is likely to have originated with competitive shooting – where a participant who takes fire after another is literally said to 'give it a shot' when they do.
The phrase 'to give it a shot' was already in popular, common use by the 1800s and might have originated as early as the 1700s when competitive shooting and hunting was at its height.
The figurative phrase 'to give it a shot' continued in use with its meaning unchanged, and today it still continues to refer to anything that someone is told (or encouraged) to try.
The website Urban Dictionary lists the phrase from 2009, even though much earlier use of the phrase is documented elsewhere.
Phrases Similar to Give It a Shot
- Give it a try
- Give it a go
Phrases Opposite to Give It a Shot
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- Give it a shot
- Give [something] a shot
Ways People May Say Give It a Shot Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'give it a shot' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the expression when it is said.
Someone cannot say 'give it a shots' as it renders an incorrect phrase, and someone cannot say 'give it a shoot' as this does the same.
The phrase can be misunderstood as literal if someone does not know prior use of the expression.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Give It a Shot
The correct way to use the phrase 'give it a shot' is to use the expression to say that someone should give something a try.
The phrase is mostly figurative unless the context of the phrase implies that it is literal, which is less common except for in a shooting or sports context.