Shoot sb up Meaning & Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Shoot sb up” Mean?

“Shoot sb up” means to give someone an injection or to inject drugs into someone. It can also mean to supply someone with drugs, especially intravenously.

Introduction

The phrasal verb “shoot sb up” is commonly used in medical and informal contexts. It refers mainly to the act of injecting a person with medicine or drugs using a needle. The phrase can describe both legal medical injections and illegal drug use. Understanding the “shoot sb up” meaning helps learners identify when this phrase is appropriate and when it might be informal or slang. It is often heard in conversations about health, hospitals, or drug-related topics. Knowing how to use “shoot sb up” correctly will improve your English fluency and help avoid misunderstandings.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: shoot somebody up
• Type: transitive
• Level: B2
• Short meaning: to inject someone with medicine or drugs

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Shoot sb up” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object (somebody) between the verb and the particle or after the particle.

• Shoot someone up
• Shoot up someone

Examples: “The nurse shot me up with a vaccine.” / “They shot up the patient quickly.”

How to Use Shoot sb up?

This phrasal verb is used when talking about giving someone an injection, usually with a needle. It often appears in medical or informal drug contexts. The subject is the person giving the injection, and the object is the person receiving it.

It can also describe the illegal use of drugs, especially when someone injects themselves or others with drugs.

Examples

Doctors often shoot patients up with vaccines during flu season.

• They shot him up with painkillers after the surgery.
• The nurse shot me up quickly before the operation.
• He was caught trying to shoot himself up with illegal drugs.
• Paramedics shot the injured man up with a sedative.
• She refused to be shot up with any more injections.

Here is how to use “shoot sb up” in a sentence: “The doctor shot me up with a flu vaccine.”

Common Mistakes

Many learners confuse the object placement or use the phrase in the wrong context.

• Incorrect: “He shot up me with the medicine.”
• Correct: “He shot me up with the medicine.”
• Incorrect: “I will shoot up with the vaccine.”
• Correct: “I will be shot up with the vaccine.”

Remember, “shoot sb up” requires an object (someone) to be correct.

Differences / Synonyms

Similar phrasal verbs include:

• Inject sb with: More formal and medical. “The nurse injected him with insulin.”
• Shoot up: Can mean to inject drugs yourself or to increase rapidly (unrelated meaning).
• Give sb an injection: Polite and formal alternative.

“Shoot sb up” is informal and often used in conversation, especially regarding drugs.

Common Collocations

People often use “shoot sb up” with different objects depending on the context.

• Shoot sb up with a vaccine: To give a vaccination injection.
• Shoot sb up with painkillers: To inject medicine for pain relief.
• Shoot sb up with drugs: Often refers to illegal drug use.
• Shoot sb up with insulin: To inject insulin for diabetes treatment.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of shoot sb up:

• Shoot Sth Off
• Shoot Sb
• Shoot For Sth
• Shoot Up Sth
• Shoot Sb Down

Real-life Dialogue

Here’s a short conversation using “shoot sb up”:

Anna: I’m nervous about the injection.

Doctor: Don’t worry. I will shoot you up quickly, and it will be over.

Anna: Thanks! I appreciate that.

Practice

Complete the sentence with the correct form of “shoot sb up”:

The nurse ___ me ___ with the flu vaccine yesterday.

• a) shot / up
• b) shot up / me
• c) shot me up
• d) shot up me

Answer: c) shot me up

FAQ

• Q: Is “shoot sb up” formal or informal?
  A: It is informal and often used in casual speech.
• Q: Can “shoot sb up” mean to inject oneself?
  A: Usually, it means to inject someone else, but “shoot up” alone can mean injecting oneself.
• Q: Is “shoot sb up” always related to drugs?
  A: No, it can refer to medical injections or illegal drug use depending on context.
• Q: Can I say “shoot up me”?
  A: No, the correct form is “shoot me up.”
• Q: What is a polite alternative to “shoot sb up”?
  A: “Give sb an injection” or “inject sb.”