crapshooter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowinformal
Quick answer
What does “crapshooter” mean?
A person who plays the dice game craps, typically by throwing the dice.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who plays the dice game craps, typically by throwing the dice.
Informally, someone who takes significant, reckless risks; a gambler in the figurative sense.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The game 'craps' is far more culturally embedded in the US. In British English, the word is rarely used literally and is more likely to be encountered as an Americanism or in its extended, figurative sense.
Connotations
In US English, the literal meaning is primary; in UK English, it is almost exclusively figurative and sounds distinctly American.
Frequency
The word is infrequent in both varieties but markedly more so in British English.
Grammar
How to Use “crapshooter” in a Sentence
[determiner] + crapshootera crapshooter at heartVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crapshooter” in a Sentence
verb
American English
- He spent his youth crapshooting in back alleys.
adjective
American English
- He had a crapshooter mentality about the stock market.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically for a CEO or investor who makes high-stakes, unpredictable decisions.
Academic
Rare; might appear in sociological or economic texts discussing risk behaviour.
Everyday
Primarily in its figurative sense to describe someone's reckless approach to life decisions.
Technical
Specific to discussions of the game of craps.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “crapshooter”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “crapshooter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crapshooter”
- Spelling as 'crap shooter' (two words is occasionally accepted, but 'crapshooter' is standard).
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Assuming it has a positive connotation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word, primarily used in American English and often in a metaphorical sense.
Rarely. It typically implies recklessness and dependence on chance rather than skill, carrying a negative or cautionary connotation.
'Gambler' is a broad, neutral term. 'Crapshooter' is more specific (literal) or more vividly metaphorical, emphasizing the pure-chance, dice-rolling aspect of risk-taking.
Not inherently, but due to its association with gambling and the potential mishearing of the first syllable ('crap'), it is unsuitable for formal contexts.
A person who plays the dice game craps, typically by throwing the dice.
Crapshooter is usually informal in register.
Crapshooter: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkræpʃuːtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkræpʃuːtər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A born crapshooter”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CRAPS' (the game) + 'SHOOTer' (one who 'shoots' dice). A person who shoots craps dice.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A GAMBLE; A RECKLESS PERSON IS A CRAPSHOOTER.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'crapshooter' MOST likely to be used literally?