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Definition of hit verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hit

verb
 
 
/hɪt/
 
/hɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they hit
 
/hɪt/
 
/hɪt/
he / she / it hits
 
/hɪts/
 
/hɪts/
past simple hit
 
/hɪt/
 
/hɪt/
past participle hit
 
/hɪt/
 
/hɪt/
-ing form hitting
 
/ˈhɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈhɪtɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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    touch somebody/something with force

  1.  
     [transitive] to bring your hand, or an object you are holding, against somebody/something quickly and with force
    • hit somebody/something I was afraid he was going to hit me.
    • hit somebody/something with something She hit him with her umbrella.
    • hit somebody/something in/on something Someone hit him in the face.
    • hit somebody/something in/on something with something He hit the nail squarely on the head with the hammer.
    see also king-hit
    Extra Examples
    • He was hit over the head with a broken bottle.
    • I was so angry, I wanted to hit him.
    • She didn't hit me very hard.
    • She hit him in the face.
    • Their teachers used to hit them with a stick.
    • I felt like hitting him.
    • I picked up a sock and hit him over the head with it.
    • My parents never used to hit me.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • repeatedly
    • directly
    • …
    verb + hit
    • want to
    • be going to
    preposition
    • in
    • on
    • with
    • …
    phrases
    • hit somebody over the head
    See full entry
  2.  
     [transitive, intransitive] to come against something/somebody with force, especially causing damage or injury
    • hit something/somebody The bus hit the bridge.
    • The boy was hit by a speeding car.
    • hit against something/somebody The boat hit against an object under the surface of the water.
    Synonyms hithitknock ▪ bang ▪ strike ▪ bump ▪ bashThese words all mean to come against something with a lot of force.hit to come against somebody/​something with force, especially causing damage or injury:
    • The boy was hit by a speeding car.
    knock to hit something so that it moves or breaks; to put somebody/​something into a particular state or position by hitting them/​it:
    • Someone had knocked a hole in the wall.
    bang to hit something in a way that makes a loud noise:
    • The baby was banging the table with his spoon.
    strike (formal) to hit somebody/​something hard:
    • The ship struck a rock.
    bump to hit somebody/​something by accident:
    • In the darkness I bumped into a chair.
    bash (informal) to hit against something very hard:
    • I braked too late, bashing into the car in front.
    Patterns
    • to hit/​knock/​bang/​bump/​bash against somebody/​something
    • to knock/​bang/​bump/​bash into somebody/​something
    • to hit/​strike the ground/​floor/​wall
    Extra Examples
    • A taxi almost hit him as he was crossing the street.
    • She threw a plate at him and narrowly missed hitting him.
    • I was hit by a falling stone.
    Topics Health problemsa2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • repeatedly
    • directly
    • …
    verb + hit
    • want to
    • be going to
    preposition
    • in
    • on
    • with
    • …
    phrases
    • hit somebody over the head
    See full entry
  3.  
     [transitive] hit something to knock a part of your body against something
    • I must have hit my knee.
    • hit something on something He hit his head on the low ceiling.
    • hit something against something As she stood up, she hit her hand against the edge of the table.
    Extra Examples
    • I accidentally hit my knee on the desk.
    • I hit my head on the low doorway.
    • He fell, hitting his head on the hard stone floor.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • repeatedly
    • directly
    • …
    verb + hit
    • want to
    • be going to
    preposition
    • in
    • on
    • with
    • …
    phrases
    • hit somebody over the head
    See full entry
  4.  
     [transitive, often passive] (of a bullet, bomb, etc. or a person using them) to reach and touch a person or thing suddenly and with force
    • be hit by somebody/something The town was hit by bombs again last night.
    • He was hit by a sniper.
    • hit somebody/something Not all the bullets hit their targets.
    Extra Examples
    • The grenade will explode as soon as it hits the ground.
    • He was hit directly in the back.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • repeatedly
    • directly
    • …
    verb + hit
    • want to
    • be going to
    preposition
    • in
    • on
    • with
    • …
    phrases
    • hit somebody over the head
    See full entry
    5.

    ball

  5.  
     [transitive] hit something to bring a bat, etc. against a ball and push it away with force
    • She hit the ball and ran to first base.
    • hit something + adv./prep. I hit the ball too hard and it went out of the court.
    • We've hit our ball over the fence!
    see also pinch-hit
  6. [transitive] hit something (sport) to score points by hitting a ball
    • to hit a home run
    7.

    press button

  7. [transitive] hit something (informal) to press something such as a button to operate a machine, etc.
    • Hit the brakes!
    • He picked up the phone and hit several buttons.
    • I found the impulse to hit the fast-forward button to be quite overwhelming.
    • I accidentally hit the wrong key.
    • Enter your password and then hit ‘Return’.
    8.

    have bad effect

  8.  
     [transitive, intransitive] to have a bad effect on somebody/something
    • hit (somebody/something) The tax increases will certainly hit people on low incomes.
    • His death didn't really hit me at first.
    • A tornado hit on Tuesday night.
    • Rural areas have been worst hit by the strike.
    • Spain was one of the hardest hit countries.
    • it hits somebody + adv. It hit him very hard when Rosie left.
    Extra Examples
    • Our department has been badly hit by the cutbacks.
    • Some businesses have been hit very hard by the rise in interest rates.
    • The plans could be hit by spending cuts.
    • Airlines were badly hit by the recession.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • badly
    • hard
    • heavily
    • …
    See full entry
    9.

    attack

  9. [transitive, intransitive] hit (somebody/something) to attack somebody/something
    • We hit the enemy when they least expected it.
    10.

    reach

  10. [transitive] hit something (informal) to reach a place
    • Follow this footpath and you'll eventually hit the road.
    • The President hits town tomorrow.
    Extra Examples
    • Traffic was heavy when they hit the main road.
    • They were making good progress when they hit a wide fast-flowing river.
    • It'll be two hours before we hit the border.
    • By the time we hit the city centre, everything was closed.
  11. [transitive] hit something to reach a particular level
    • Temperatures hit 40° yesterday.
    • The euro hit a record low in trading today.
    • (British English) We hit top form (= played our best) in yesterday’s match.
    • The film doesn't always hit its targets (= succeed in what it is attempting to do).
    Extra Examples
    • He had managed to hit his sales target this month.
    • Temperatures are expected to hit 30°C tomorrow.
    12.

    problem/difficulty

  12. [transitive] hit something (informal) to experience something difficult or unpleasant
    • We seem to have hit a problem.
    • Everything was going well but then we hit trouble.
    13.

    suddenly realize

  13. [transitive] (informal) to come suddenly into your mind
    • hit somebody The idea hit me like a tornado.
    • it hits somebody I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before, and then it suddenly hit me.
    • it hits somebody that… That's when it really hit me that we were in deep trouble.
    14.

    become available

  14. [transitive] (informal) to become widely available for sale
    • the latest board game to hit the market
    • to hit the shops/stores/shelves
    • Her shocking autobiography is about to hit the streets.
    15. Word Originlate Old English hittan (in the sense ‘come upon, find’), from Old Norse hitta ‘come upon, meet with’, of unknown origin.
Idioms
grab/hit/make the headlines
  1. to be an important item of news in the media
    • He always manages to grab the headlines.
    Extra Examples
    • The hospital hit the headlines when a number of suspicious deaths occurred.
    • The story was important enough to make the headlines.
hit (it) big
  1. (informal) to be very successful
    • The band has hit big in the US.
    Topics Successc2
hit the buffers
  1. (informal) if a plan, somebody’s career, etc. hits the buffers, it suddenly stops being successful
    • The former tennis star’s comeback trail hit the buffers yesterday when she lost in straight sets.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
hit the deck
  1. (informal) to fall to the ground
hit/knock somebody for six
  1. (British English) to affect somebody very deeply
    • The business over the lawsuit had really knocked her for six.
hit the ground running
  1. (informal) to start doing something and continue very quickly and successfullyTopics Successc2
hit the hay/sack
  1. (informal) to go to bed
    • I decided to hit the sack and have an early night.
hit/strike home
  1. if a remark, etc. hits/strikes home, it has a strong effect on somebody, in a way that makes them realize what the true facts of a situation are
    • Her face went pale as his words hit home.
hit somebody (straight/right) in the eye
  1. to be very obvious to somebody
hit it
  1. (informal) used to tell somebody to start doing something, such as playing music
    • Hit it, Louis!
hit it off (with somebody)
  1. (informal) to have a good friendly relationship with somebody
    • We hit it off straight away.
    Topics Family and relationshipsc1
hit the jackpot
  1. to make or win a lot of money quickly and unexpectedly
hit/miss the mark
  1. to succeed/fail in achieving or guessing something
    • He blushed furiously and Robyn knew she had hit the mark.
    • The film misses the mark because it just isn't believable.
    Topics Successc2, Doubt, guessing and certaintyc2, Difficulty and failurec2
hit the nail on the head
  1. to say something that is exactly right
hit/touch/strike a (raw/sensitive) nerve
  1. to mention a subject that makes somebody feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.
    • You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife.
    • My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve.
    • The article struck a raw nerve as it revived unpleasant memories.
    Topics Feelingsc2
hit/strike pay dirt
  1. (informal) to suddenly be in a successful situation, especially one that makes you rich
    • The band really hit pay dirt with their last album.
    Topics Successc2
hit/strike the right/wrong note
  1. (especially British English) to do, say or write something that is suitable/not suitable for a particular occasion
    • It is a bizarre tale and the author hits just the right note of horror and disbelief.
    • Unfortunately, the president struck the wrong note in his speech, ignoring the public mood.
hit the road/trail
  1. (informal) to start a journey
    • The following spring I hit the road.
hit the roof
(also go through the roof)
  1. (informal) to suddenly become very angryTopics Feelingsc2
hit the spot
  1. (informal) if something hits the spot it does exactly what it should do
hit (your) stride (North American English)
(British English get into your stride)
  1. to begin to do something with confidence and at a good speed after a slow, uncertain start
    • After a nervous start, he finally hit his stride in the second set.
    • The team took time to hit stride.
    • The show finally hit its stride in the second season.
hit a/the wall
  1. to reach a point when you cannot continue or make any more progress
    • We hit a wall and we weren't scoring.
    • I’ve hit a wall with my marathon training.
    • What do you do when you hit the wall at work?
hit somebody when they’re down
  1. to continue to hurt somebody when they are already defeated
hit somebody where it hurts
  1. to affect somebody where they will feel it most
hit/strike the woodwork
  1. (British English, informal) to hit the wooden frame of the goal in the game of football (soccer), instead of scoring a goal
    • She hit the woodwork twice before scoring.
not know what hit you
  1. (informal) to be so surprised by something that you do not know how to react
when the shit hits the fan
  1. (taboo, slang) when somebody in authority finds out about something bad or wrong that somebody has done
    • When the shit hits the fan, I don't want to be here.
See hit in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee hit in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: hit

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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