What does the Simile ‘Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel’ Means?

If something is like shooting fish in a barrel then it is ridiculously easy; it is exceptionally easy to do.

The word “Barrel” has several meanings but, in this expression, a barrel refers to a cylindrical container that holds liquids.

Imagine a barrel containing water in which lots of fish are swimming. If you start shooting in it, chances are extremely high that you will hit at least one of the fish because so many fish are concentrated in such a small volume. This task is so easy that it is difficult to miss any of the shots.

Let’s see an example —

“He is an exceptional batsman. Scoring runs is like shooting fish in a barrel for him.”

It means that he scores runs very easily.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.