Definition of 'hit'

Word Frequency

hit

(hɪt )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense hits , present participle hitting language note: The form hit is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.

1. verb

If you hit someone or something, you deliberately touch them with a lot of force, with your hand or an object held in your hand.

Find the exact grip that allows you to hit the ball hard. [VERB noun]

She hit him hard across his left arm. [VERB noun]

Police at the scene said the victim had been hit several times in the head. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: strike, beat, knock, punch More Synonyms of hit

2. verb

When one thing hits another, it touches it with a lot of force.

The car had apparently hit a traffic sign before skidding out of control. [VERB noun]

She hit the last barrier and sprawled across the track. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: collide with, run into, bump into, clash with More Synonyms of hit

3. verb

If a bomb or missile hits its target, it reaches it.

...multiple-warhead missiles that could hit many targets at a time. [VERB noun]

The hospital had been hit with heavy artillery fire. [VERB noun]

Hit is also a noun.

First a house took a direct hit and then the rocket exploded.

4. verb

If something hits a person, place, or thing, it affects them very badly.

[journalism]

The plan to charge motorists £75 a year to use the motorway is going to hit me hard. [VERB noun]

Spain has been hit by storms since the beginning of the week. [VERB noun]

Special schools were hardest hit. [VERB noun]

5. verb

When a feeling or an idea hits you, it suddenly affects you or comes into your mind.

It hit me that I had a choice. [VERB noun that]

Then the answer hit me. It had been staring me in the face. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: strike, come to, occur to, dawn on More Synonyms of hit

6. verb

If you hit a particular high or low point on a scale of something such as success or health, you reach it.

[journalism]

He admits to having hit the lowest point in his life. [VERB noun]

Oil prices hit record levels yesterday. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: reach, strike, gain, achieve More Synonyms of hit

7. countable noun [oft NOUN noun]

If a CD, film, or play is a hit, it is very popular and successful.

The song became a massive hit in 1945.

...the surprise hit video of the year.

Synonyms: success, winner, triumph, smash [informal] More Synonyms of hit

8. countable noun

A hit is a single visit to a website.

[computing]

Our small company has had 78,000 hits on its internet pages.

9. countable noun

If someone who is searching for information on the internet gets a hit, they find a website where there is that information.

10.

See hit it off

11.

See make a hit

12. to hit the bottle

13. to hit the headlines

14. to hit home

15. to hit the nail on the head

16. to hit the road

17. to hit the roof

18. to hit someone for six

Phrasal verbs:

See hit back

See hit on

See hit out

See hit upon

More Synonyms of hit

Video: pronunciation of
hit

hit in British English

(hɪt )

verbWord forms: hits, hitting or hit (mainly tr)

1. (also intr)

to deal (a blow or stroke) to (a person or thing); strike

he hit the table with his fist

to come into violent contact with

the car hit the tree

to reach or strike with a missile, thrown object, etc

to hit a target

to make or cause to make forceful contact; knock or bump

I hit my arm on the table

to propel or cause to move by striking

to hit a ball

6. cricket

to score ( runs)

to affect (a person, place, or thing) suddenly or adversely

his illness hit his wife very hard

to become suddenly apparent to (a person)

the reason for his behaviour hit me and made the whole episode clear

to achieve or reach

to hit the jackpot

unemployment hit a new high

10.

to experience or encounter

I've hit a slight snag here

11. slang

to murder (a rival criminal) in fulfilment of an underworld contract or vendetta

12.

to accord or suit (esp in the phrase hit one's fancy)

13.

to guess correctly or find out by accident

you have hit the answer

14. informal

to set out on (a road, path, etc)

let's hit the road

15. informal

to arrive or appear in

he will hit town tomorrow night

16. informal, mainly US and Canadian

to demand or request from

he hit me for a pound

17. slang

to drink an excessive amount of ( alcohol)

to hit the bottle

18. hit it

19. hit skins

20. hit the sack

21. not know what has hit one

noun

22.

an impact or collision

23.

a shot, blow, etc, that reaches its object

24.

an apt, witty, or telling remark

25. informal

a person or thing that gains wide appeal

she's a hit with everyone

(as modifier)

a hit record

26. informal

a stroke of luck

27. slang

a murder carried out as the result of an underworld vendetta or rivalry

(as modifier)

a hit squad

28. slang

a drag on a cigarette, a swig from a bottle, a line of a drug, or an injection of heroin

29. computing

a single visit to a website

30. make a hit with

Word origin

Old English hittan, from Old Norse hitta

Word Frequency

hit in American English

(hɪt )

verb transitiveWord forms: hit or ˈhitting

to come against, usually with force; strike

the car hit the tree

to give a blow to; strike; knock

to strike so as to deliver (a blow)

to strike by throwing or shooting a missile at

to hit the target

to cause to knock, bump, or strike, as in falling, moving, etc.

often with on or against

to hit one's head on a door

to affect strongly or adversely so as to distress or harm

a town hard hit by floods

to come upon by accident or after search; find; light upon

to hit the right answer

8. US

to arrive at (a place or point); reach; attain

stocks hit a new high

to go to; visit

we hit all the art galleries in town

10.

strike (sense 8) strike (sense 9) strike (sense 10) (variously)

11. US, Slang

to apply oneself to steadily or frequently

to hit the books

12. Slang

to demand or require of

with for; often with up

she hit me up for a loan

13. US, Slang

to murder

said as of a hired murderer or an assassin

14. Slang

to supply with a drug, etc.

15. US, Baseball

to get (a specified base hit)

to hit a double

16. US, Blackjack

to deal another card to

verb intransitive

17.

to give a blow or blows; strike

18.

to attack suddenly

19.

to knock, bump, or strike

usually with against

20.

to come by accident or after search

with on or upon

21. US

to ignite the combustible mixture in its cylinders

said of an internal-combustion engine

22. US, Baseball

to get a base hit

noun

23.

a blow that strikes its mark

24.

a collision of one thing with another

25.

an effectively witty or sarcastic remark

26.

a stroke of good fortune

27.

a successful and popular song, singer, book, author, etc.

28. Informal

an instance of finding or matching particular data in a computer search

an instance of being accessed: said of a website

29. US, Slang

a murder, as by a hired murderer or an assassin

30. Slang

a dose of a drug, a drink of alcoholic liquor, etc.

31. Backgammon

a game won by a player after one or more of the opponent's men have been removed from the board

32. US, Baseball

Idioms:

hit on

hit the ground running

hit the road

Derived forms

hitter (ˈhitter)

noun

Word origin

ME hitten < OE hittan < ON hitta, to hit upon, meet with < IE base *keid-, to fall > Welsh cwydd, a fall

Examples of 'hit' in a sentence
hit

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

The tackles most likely to cause a head injury were those where head hit head.To see a funeral car hit a pub is something very unusual.The scrutiny on the hit will make it too draconian for some.This is in turn would hit his bottom line.What happens if you hit something?This is not so much the sequel as the original LP that gave birth to the hit single.The charges are a blow to motorists hit by soaring costs. Avoid the crowds and hit the website for these classic navy cotton pants.They have been hit hard by injuries and sit in sixth place.They were hit with such force that they were hurled on to the opposite carriageway.