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🇮🇹Italian Source WordCode: IT

chiacchierare

Pronunciation / Transliteration: kjak-kje-ˈra-re

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Shoot the bull/ˈʃuːt ðə bʊl/
verbCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus
🇮🇹 Example Sentence in Italian:

"Ci piace sederci al bar e chiacchierare del più e del meno."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To spend time chatting idly or talking about unimportant things with friends or acquaintances.

    "We sat on the porch for hours just shooting the bull about old times."
  2. 2

    To exaggerate or talk nonsense.

    "Don't believe everything he says; he is just shooting the bull."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Originating in the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century, the phrase combines 'shoot' in the sense of uttering or discharging words with 'bull,' an abbreviation of 'bullshit' or tall tales. Over time, it lost its vulgar connotation in everyday speech, evolving into a widely accepted idiom for engaging in casual, idle conversation.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Shoot the bull"?

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Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Shoot the bull"

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