shot from the hip
Answered without thinking
Shot from the hip describes speaking or acting impulsively, without careful thought or preparation.
The image comes from firing a gun without raising it to aim—fast but inaccurate.
Someone who shoots from the hip gives immediate, unfiltered responses: When asked about the scandal, she shot from the hip and said something she later regretted.
The phrase can suggest refreshing directness or reckless candor, depending on context.
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
- off the cuffSpontaneous, unrehearsed speech
- spur-of-the-momentDone without advance planning
- spontaneousArising without external cause
- drawCreate with pencil
extemporaneous · forthright · plainspoken · impulsive · gut feeling · aim · bang · uncalculated · quick draw · reactive · unplanned · knee-jerk · candid · unvarnished · intuitive · brusque · adventurous · unfiltered
shot from the hipcalculated
Figured out mathematically
measured · deliberate · premeditated · thought through · methodical
shot from the hipdiplomatic
Tactful and sensitive
tactful · guarded · hedged · evasive · noncommittal