shoot-up
C1-C2Informal, Slang, Medical/Police Jargon
Definition
Meaning
To inject oneself with an illegal drug (especially heroin, morphine, or another narcotic) intravenously.
To cause a rapid, sharp increase in a quantity or level; a place where drugs are bought and used; to travel quickly through an area (informal); to damage something extensively with gunfire.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary sense is strongly associated with intravenous drug use. The extended sense of a rapid increase is usually hyphenated ('shoot-up') or separate ('shoot up'). The noun form ('a shoot-up') can refer to the act of injecting, the location, or a gunfight.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term for drug injection and rapid increase. British English slightly more common for the 'gunfight/damage' sense? Americans tend to use "shot up" more often.
Connotations
Highly negative for the drug sense in both. The 'increase' sense is neutral informal. The 'gunfire' sense is violent/criminal.
Frequency
Overall low frequency, but highest in contexts discussing addiction, crime, or informal business reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] shoot up (with [NP])[NP] shoot up (by [amount])[NP] shoot [NP] upVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “shoot up the charts”
- “shoot up like a rocket”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"Startup valuations are expected to shoot up after the funding round."
Academic
Rare, except in sociology or medical papers: "Participants reported they would shoot up several times a day."
Everyday
"We saw the temperature shoot up to 40 degrees." "That part of town is known for addicts who shoot up in alleyways."
Technical
In medicine: 'IV drug use'; in law enforcement: 'injecting a controlled substance'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He'd shoot up in the disused public toilets.
- House prices have shot up again this quarter.
- The car was completely shot up in the gang fight.
American English
- Addicts would shoot up in the abandoned warehouse.
- Gas prices shot up overnight after the storm.
- The storefront got shot up in the drive-by.
adjective
British English
- It was a known shoot-up spot for local addicts.
American English
- They cleared out the shoot-up den behind the old factory.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The boy's height shot up over the summer.
- The graph shows sales shooting up in December.
- It's dangerous to shoot up drugs you don't know.
- After the announcement, their stock price shot up by 15%.
- The police raided a suspected shoot-up location in the city centre.
- The documentary depicted the grim reality of addicts who shoot up in squalid conditions.
- Unemployment figures have shot up, precipitating a political crisis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Picture a syringe shooting upwards like a rocket – linking the action of injecting (shoot-up) with the result of rapid increase (shoot up).
Conceptual Metaphor
DRUGS ARE PROJECTILES / INCREASE IS UPWARD MOTION
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не перепутать с 'стрелять' (to shoot a gun) в нейтральном контексте. 'Shoot-up' специфично связано с наркотиками. 'Подскочить' (prices) = shoot up. 'Колються' (нарк.) = to shoot up.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'shoot-up' for a non-drug-related injection (e.g., a vaccine). Confusing 'shoot up' (verb phrase) with 'shoot-up' (noun). Misspelling as 'shut up'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'shoot-up' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but that is its primary and most specific meaning. It can also mean a rapid increase or, informally, to damage with gunfire.
Typically, 'shoot up' (two words) is the verb phrase meaning to increase rapidly or travel quickly. 'Shoot-up' (hyphenated) is often the noun meaning an act of drug injection or the location for it, though usage varies.
When referring to drug use, it is blunt and informal. It's appropriate in factual reports (medical, police) or informal speech but may be stigmatizing in certain sensitive contexts.
The past tense and past participle is 'shot up' for all meanings (e.g., 'He shot up heroin', 'Prices shot up').