This is the 8967th most frequent Portuguese word.
atirar
"Atirar" means "to throw" or "to shoot" in English.
Here, 'atirar' refers to the act of firing a weapon, implying self-defense in a serious situation.
A polícia foi obrigada a atirar para se defender.
The police were forced to shoot to defend themselves.
Here, 'atirar' is used to mean 'to throw' something lightly or casually.
Ele decidiu atirar a bola para o amigo.
He decided to throw the ball to his friend.
In this context, 'atirar' means 'to shoot' an object as part of a competitive or aiming activity.