Phrase guide

open fire

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An uncovered fire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We roasted chestnuts over an open fire.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To begin firing (weapons) at something or someone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • In warfare, whoever opens fire first has a greater chance of victory.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

start firing a weapon

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fire

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: blast, shoot

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 露天火堆 (lùtiān huǒduī) — an uncovered fire
  • Finnish: avotuli — an uncovered fire
  • Russian: откры́тый ого́нь (otkrýtyj ogónʹ) — an uncovered fire
  • Spanish: fuego abierto — an uncovered fire
  • Swedish: öppen eld — an uncovered fire
  • Tagalog: dapog — an uncovered fire
  • Armenian: կրակ բացել (krak bacʻel) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Azerbaijani: atəş açmaq — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 開槍 /开枪 (kāiqiāng) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 開火 /开火 (kāihuǒ) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Esperanto: ekpafi — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Finnish: avata tuli — to begin firing at something or someone
  • French: ouvrir le feu — to begin firing at something or someone
  • German: losschießen — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Greek: ανοίγω πυρ (anoígo pyr) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Hungarian: tüzet nyit — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Latvian: atklāt uguni — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Mongolian: гал нээх (gal neex) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Portuguese: abrir fogo — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Russian: откры́ть ого́нь (otkrýtʹ ogónʹ) — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Serbo-Croatian: otvòriti vȁtru — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Spanish: abrir fuego — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Swedish: öppna eld — to begin firing at something or someone
  • Turkish: ateş açmak — to begin firing at something or someone