target noun
1 sb/sth that you try to destroy, hurt, steal, etc.
ADJ. favourite, likely, natural, obvious, perfect, possible, potential, prime, suitable The prime minister is a favourite target of comedians. | easy, sitting, soft, tempting, vulnerable The stationary trucks were sitting targets for the enemy planes. | legitimate | intended | stationary | moving | ground | military | civilian, non-military | terrorist
VERB + TARGET aim at, attack, go for, shoot at | hit, reach (used of a missile) The bomb reached its intended target ten seconds later. | miss, overshoot The flare overshot its target and set light to a hotel. | destroy The missile is aimed specifically to destroy military targets. | track The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.
PREP. off ~ The missile veered way off target and landed in the sea. | on ~ Politically speaking, his jibes were right on target. | ~ for an easy target for shoplifters
2 object that you shoot at
VERB + TARGET put up, set up The archers were setting up their targets. | aim at, shoot at | hit | miss | use sth as The boys used an old tree stump as a target.
TARGET + NOUN area | practice
PREP. off ~ Patton was just off target with a header. | on ~ His first shot was bang on target. | wide of the ~ The shot went wide of the target.
3 result, person, etc. that you aim to reach
ADJ. achievable, attainable, low, modest, realistic | ambitious, demanding, difficult, high, tough, unrealistic She has always set herself very high targets. | impossible | clear | chief, key, main, major, primary, prime, principal | annual | immediate, initial | future, long-term, ultimate | attainment, economic, financial, growth, inflation, performance, production, profit, recruitment, sales, spending
VERB + TARGET set Managers must set targets that are realistic. | aim for Pupils should be given a target to aim for. | achieve, meet, reach | stay within in a desperate attempt to stay within budget targets | exceed The company pays bonuses to workers who exceed production targets. | fall short of
TARGET + NOUN audience, group, market | date to meet a target date of May 2002 | figure, price, weight
PREP. above (a/the) ~ Sales so far this year are 20% above target. | off ~ These figures are way off target. | on ~ We are still right on target. | over (a/the) ~ Many wage settlements reached were over the original target of 4%. | towards (a/the) ~ We are working towards a target of twenty cars a week. | ~ for setting new targets for growth
target verb
ADV. carefully, deliberately a carefully targeted marketing campaign Children are deliberately targeted. | particularly, specifically
PREP. at The products are targeted at young people. | for This hospital is targeted for additional funding. | on Tax cuts should be targeted on the poor. | towards We target our services towards specific groups of people.
You can also check other dicts: target (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition