gunslinger

[ guhn-sling-er ]

noun

1. Informal. gunfighter.
2. Slang. a person who acts in an aggressive and decisive manner, especially in business or politics, as an investor who takes large risks in seeking large, quick gains.

gunslinger

/ ˈɡʌnˌslɪŋə /

noun

1. slang.
   a gunfighter or gunman, esp in the Old West

Derived Forms

• ˈgunˌslinging, noun

Other Words From

• gunslinging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gunslinger¹

First recorded in 1950–55; gun ¹ + sling ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He was back onstage at the end of the Stills-Young set, joining as one more electric guitar gunslinger on “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

From Los Angeles Times

Imagine: a sprawling, expensive adaptation of a beloved videogame franchise that features an unlikely duo — a nihilistic old gunslinger with a tortured past and a tough young woman whose mission overlaps with his.

From New York Times

Baltimore had a reputation for being a city of gunslingers, and some of those guys were very excited about keeping that stereotype alive and well.

From Salon

That is a question asked to Jason Statham in “The Beekeeper,” a delirious entry in the thriving genre of action flicks about gunslingers who list a different career on their LinkedIn.

From New York Times

But sometimes that confidence — that ol’ gunslinger bravado — gets him in trouble.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bandit
• crook
• desperado
• fugitive
• gangster
• hoodlum
• hooligan
• marauder
• mobster
• outcast
• pariah
• robber