hit

1 of 2

verb

hit; hitting

transitive verb

1
a
: to reach with or as if with a sudden blow
His mom told him to stop hitting his sister.
b
: to come in quick forceful contact with
the ball hit the window
He was hit by a car.
The tank was hit by enemy fire.
c
: to strike (something, such as a ball) with an object (such as a bat, club, or racket) so as to impart or redirect motion
hit a fastball into the outfield
2
a
: to cause to come into contact
She accidentally hit her head getting into the car.
b
: to deliver (something, such as a blow) by action
c
: to apply forcefully or suddenly
hit the brakes
Will someone hit the lights?
3
: to affect especially detrimentally
farmers hit by drought
Many families were hit hard during the recession.
4
: to make a request of
hit his friend for 10 dollars
often used with up
hit us up for some change
5
: to discover or meet especially by chance
prospectors hitting gold
hit a snowstorm while driving home
hit a run of bad luck
6
a
: to accord with : suit
hits public tastes
b
: reach, attain
prices hit a new high
kept digging until he hit water
She'll hit 50 on her next birthday.
c
: to arrive or appear at, in, or on
hit town
the best time to hit the stores
The newest issue hits newsstands tomorrow.
d
of fish : to bite at or on
will only hit live bait
e
: to reflect accurately
hit the right note
f
: to reach or strike (something, such as a target) especially for a score in a game or contest
couldn't seem to hit the basket
g
baseball : bat sense 2b
a player who can hit .300
7
: to indulge in excessively
He repeatedly hit the bottle [=drank alcoholic beverages excessively] and, following a wild binge, was exiled to a remote post in the mountains …Stanley Karnow
8
: to deal another card to (as in blackjack)
hit me

intransitive verb

1
a
: to strike a blow
boxers hitting furiously at each other
b
: to arrive with a forceful effect like that of a blow
the storm hit
2
a
: to come into contact with something
the plate shattered when it hit
b
: attack
where the terrorists would hit next
c
of a fish : strike sense 11b
d
baseball : bat sense 1
next up to hit
3
: to succeed in attaining or coming up with something
often used with on or upon
hit on a solution
4
obsolete : to be in agreement : suit
5
of an internal combustion engine : to fire a quantity of mixed fuel and air in the cylinders (see cylinder sense 2b)
the engine wouldn't hit
hitter noun

hit

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of striking or forcefully coming in contact with someone or something : an act or instance of hitting or being hit
penalized for an illegal hit from behind
The bunker took a direct hit from the bombers.
2
a
: a stroke of luck
b
: a great success
The show was a big hit.
a compilation of the band's greatest hits
The pony rides were a hit with the kids.
3
: a telling or critical remark
4
baseball : base hit
5
: a quantity of a drug ingested at one time
took a hit of LSD
6
: a premeditated murder committed especially by a member of a crime syndicate (see syndicate entry 1 sense 3c)
a hit on a rival gang leader
7
: an instance of connecting to a particular website
a million hits per day
8
: a successful match in a search (as of a computer database or the Internet)
hitless adjective
Phrases
hit it big
: to achieve great success
hit it off
: to get along well : become friends
they hit it off immediately
hit on
: to make especially sexual overtures to
hit the books
: to study especially with intensity
hit the fan
: to have a major usually undesirable impact
hit the ground running
: to begin or proceed quickly, energetically, or effectively
hit the hay or hit the sack
: to go to bed
hit the high points or hit the high spots
: to touch on or at the most important points or places
hit the jackpot
: to become notably and unexpectedly successful
hit the nail on the head
: to be exactly right
hit the road
: leave, travel
also : to set out
hit the roof or hit the ceiling
: to give vent to a burst of anger or angry protest
hit the spot
: to give complete or special satisfaction
used especially of food or drink
hit the wall
1
: to reach the point of physical exhaustion during strenuous activity
2
: to reach a limiting point or situation at which progress or success ceases

Examples of hit in a Sentence

Verb She told her son to stop hitting his sister. She hit him hard with her purse. The boxers hit each other with their fists. The boxers were hitting furiously at each other. She hit the ball right to the shortstop. The ball hit the house. The plate shattered when it hit the floor. The tank was hit by enemy fire. He was hit by a car. The ship hit an iceberg. Noun The player was penalized for an illegal hit from behind. The torpedo made a direct hit. The pony ride was a big hit at the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
During this stretch since the All-Star break, Martin also turned his ankle and received six stitches after getting hit in the mouth while playing with a wrap around his left thumb after hurting it last week. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The only offensive starter slated to hit free agency is Jon Feliciano, who took over at right guard in place of Spencer Burford as the 49ers clinched the NFC West, the No. 1 seed and the NFC crown before falling in Super Bowl LVIII. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 The news hit shares in Teleperformance SE, which provides call centers. Aisha S Gani, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 But prices are still inching up after inflation hit a four-decade high in 2022. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Part one of the movie is set to hit theaters on Nov. 27. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 Maryland’s budget problems worsened Thursday with tax receipts failing to hit estimates for the fifth consecutive time since the pandemic ended. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Notice how a quick trip to the grocery store has been hitting triple digits lately? The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Cabinet secretaries and senior White House officials are embarking on their own post-State of the Union travel blitz to amplify Biden’s message starting Friday and continuing throughout the coming weeks, hitting not only swing states but rural territory such as Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. Will Weissert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
Jim Leslie and the University of Dayton Jazztet interpret hot hits from these legendary masters. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2024 Eli Stephens did not give up a hit in 3 2/3 innings. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Cornell continued making hits as a solo artist and with the supergroup Audioslave, but Soundgarden’s relatively amicable split left the door open for a triumphant reunion in 2010. Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2024 The reported drop in consumption is much less of a hit than in other olive oil-producing Mediterranean Sea countries, as two years of drought has drastically cut production in Spain, the world’s largest olive oil producer, and pushed up global prices. Colleen Barry, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Madonna kicked off a five-night stand at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Monday, March 4, the L.A. leg of her Celebration Tour, a career-spanning look back on her hits, personal struggles, pop culture impact and enduring influence. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 The Dragon Ball universe remains one of Japan’s most successful global hits, captivating the hearts of many manga-loving teens and adults from around the world since its debut in the 1980s. Mai Nishiyama, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 From a wildlife standpoint those birds will take a hit for a year or two. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 Dedicated to the classic ballad that Parton wrote in 1973, the festival will include three new shows filled with her career hits. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English hyttan, probably from Old Norse hitta to meet with, hit

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hit was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hit

Cite this Entry

“Hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hit

1 of 2 verb
hit; hitting
1
a
: to strike usually with force
hit a ball
the ball hit the house
b
: to make or bring into contact with something
tipped over and hit the floor
c
: to strike something aimed at
hit the bull's-eye
2
b
: to affect as if by a blow
3
: to arrive with a forceful effect
the storm hit at sundown
4
a
: to come upon : discover
hit upon the answer accidentally
b
: to get to : reach
hit town that night
prices hit a new high
c
: to reflect accurately
hits the right note
5
: to fire the charge in the cylinders
hitter noun

hit

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a blow striking an object aimed at
2
a
: a stroke of luck
b
: a great success
the show was a hit
3
4
: a single dose of a narcotic drug
5
: an instance of a computer user connecting to a given website
a million hits per day
6
: a successful match in a computer search

More from Merriam-Webster on hit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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