Word.ws English Dictionary

I hope I may be shot

I hope I may be shot is the alternative form of I wish I may be shot.

Meaning of I wish I may be shot

Phrase

I wish I may be shot

  1. (archaic, colloquial) A form of mild swearing used to emphasize the truth of an assertion; accompanied by if and the opposite of the assertion.
    • It's a joke — if it isn't, I wish I may be shot.1842, William Harrison Ainsworth, Ainsworth's Magazine, page 90

Questions about I hope I may be shot

What is I hope I may be shot the alternative form of?
I hope I may be shot is the alternative form of I wish I may be shot.

Words near I hope I may be shot in the dictionary

  1. I have never
  2. I have no money
  3. I have to love you and leave you
  4. I haven't got all day
  5. I hear you say
  6. I hope I may be shot
  7. I hope she sees this
  8. I hope you're happy
  9. I just work here
  10. I kid you not
  11. I kill you later

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: I hope I may be shot (page history and authors); I wish I may be shot (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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