The usage of "gun"

Chicken Sandwich · Jun 30, 2011

It seemed like every high-level employee was gunning to bump George off and take the CEO spot.

According to the Longman dictionary, gun could mean the following:

gun 2 verb ( past tense and past participle gunned , present participle gunning )

1 be gunning for somebody informal to be trying to find an opportunity to criticize or harm someone : Why is he gunning for me?

2 be gunning for something informal to be trying very hard to obtain something : He’s gunning for your job.

3 [ transitive ] American English informal to make the engine of a car go very fast by pressing the accelerator very hard
gun somebody ↔ down phrasal verb [ usually passive ]
to shoot someone and badly injure or kill them, especially someone who cannot defend themselves : A policeman was gunned down as he left his house this morning.

I assume that "gun" in the sentence I qouted above means "o be trying to find an opportunity to criticize or harm someone". However, since it doens't "for somebody", I'm not sure if I'm correct.

Can anyone point out what "gunning" means in that sentence.

Thanks in advance.

Chicken Sandwich · Jun 30, 2011

Thanks. So "gun" can always be used as "plan"? For example, does this sentence make sense:

I'm gunning (= planning) to become a doctor?

Rover_KE · Jun 30, 2011

Chicken Sandwich said:
Thanks. So "gun" can always be used as "plan"? For example, does this sentence make sense:

I'm gunning (= planning) to become a doctor?

No. That's not the same thing at all.

Rover

SoothingDave · Jun 30, 2011

Chicken Sandwich said:
Thanks. So "gun" can always be used as "plan"? For example, does this sentence make sense:

I'm gunning (= planning) to become a doctor?

No, it's not another version of "planning." There is some at least metaphorical sense of violence or harm being brought to another. If I am gunning for your job, I intend to replace you, to cause you harm, to power my way into your position. That's more than just a plan.

in order to be "gunning" you have to have a target.

The usage of "gun"

Chicken Sandwich

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Chicken Sandwich

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Rover_KE

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SoothingDave

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