简体

give it a shot
放手一试

Quote

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Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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try it, see if it’s good

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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The word “shot” has a number of meanings. You can take a shot with a gun, or a bow and arrow. Photographers or filmmakers are also sometimes said to “shoot film,” or try to get a “good shot” of their subject. A shot is also a name for a small glass of hard alcohol.

When people say, “I’ll give it a shot,” though, they simply mean that they’re going to try something out. In this case, a shot is just a try. The person may not be that confident in his or her ability to do the activity, but he or she will try it out and see what happens.

This is how singer Adam Levine felt when he was asked to act in the TV series American Horror Story. He was a singer, not an actor, but he thought he might as well try. He would check it out and see what happened. He decided to give it a shot.

Can you think of a time when you’ve decided to just give something a shot?

Examples

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“I’m not sure if I’ll like Japanese food, but I’ll give it a shot.”

“You won’t know if you like scuba diving until you try. Why don’t you give it a shot?”

“I usually don’t like singing karaoke, but I might as well give it a shot.”