French word

fusillade

Pronunciation

IPA/fyzijad/

Meaning

  • feminine nounburst of gunfire

Example

Une fusillade a éclaté près du centre commercial hier soir.

A burst of gunfire broke out near the shopping center last night.

Illustration for fusillade (burst of gunfire)

More examples

Plusieurs voisins ont entendu une fusillade et ont appelé la police.

Several neighbors heard gunfire and called the police.

Core concept

A short, intense burst of shots directed toward people or an area.

Common phrases

  • entendre une fusillade

    hear gunfire

  • victimes d'une fusillade

    victims of a shooting

Similar words

tir: One shot from a gun or one instance of firing it.
coup de feu: The sound or act of a single shot being fired.
rafale: A short, continuous series of shots fired rapidly.

Definition in French

Série de tirs effectués en peu de temps avec des armes à feu, visant souvent une zone ou des personnes.

Word origin

The noun is formed in French from fusil, meaning gun, and -ade, a suffix used for an action or series of actions.

Usage tips

  • In news reports, fusillade often describes a shooting incident, while a single shot is more precisely un tir or un coup de feu.

Opposites

Word lists with this word