hit-or-miss

1 of 2

adjective

: marked by a lack of care, forethought, system, or plan
also : hit-and-miss

hit or miss

2 of 2

adverb

: in a hit-or-miss manner : haphazardly

Examples of hit-or-miss in a Sentence

Adjective your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again Adverb I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The officiating has been hit-or-miss all season long. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 It was critically hit-or-miss, but fans have found much to love (and several meme-able moments) from this particularly bats--- installment. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Like most anthologies, horror or otherwise, they can be hit or miss, though just about every one of the individual segments in the franchise is good for a scare or at least a laugh. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025 Jetset Bomber Bomber jackets can be a hit or miss. Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hit-or-miss was in 1606

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Hit-or-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit-or-miss. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hit or miss

adverb
: without plan, order, or direction : haphazardly
hit-or-miss
ˌhit-ər-ˈmis
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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