hits; hit; hitting
1
a
: to move your hand, a bat, etc., quickly so that it touches someone or something in a forceful or violent way
She told her son to stop hitting his sister.
She hit him hard with her purse.
He hit the fence with a stick. = He hit a stick against/on the fence.
The boxers hit each other with their fists.
The boxers were hitting furiously at each other.
b
: to cause (something, such as a ball) to move by hitting it forcefully with a bat, racket, etc.
He hit a fastball (over the fence) for a home run.
She hit the ball right to the shortstop.
c
: to touch (something or someone) in a forceful or violent way after moving at a high speed
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.
The plate shattered when it hit.
d
: to cause or allow (something, such as part of your body) to touch something in a forceful or violent way
I accidentally hit my head on/against the side of the door while I was getting into the car.
She hit her elbow on the edge of the table.
2
a
: to attack (something or someone)
Our plan is to hit the enemy before they can hit us.
b
: to affect (something or someone) in a harmful or damaging way
The ship was hit by a sudden storm.
A powerful earthquake hit the city.
Many families have been hit hard by the layoffs. = Many families have been hard hit by the layoffs. [=many families have been badly affected/hurt by the layoffs]
If you really want to teach your son a lesson you should hit him where it hurts and take away his cell phone.
Many people were unprepared when the storm hit.
The layoffs have hit hard here.
3
a
: to come to (something) by chance or accident while you are moving
We hit a west wind coming out of port.
I was late because I hit a traffic jam on the way over.
b
: to begin to have or experience (problems, trouble, etc.)
The project went smoothly at first, but then we started to hit [=encounter] some problems.
4
informal
: to become suddenly or completely clear to (someone) : strike
It suddenly hit [=occurred to] me that I was doing something wrong. [=I suddenly realized that I was doing something wrong]
The importance of the victory hasn't really hit her yet.
I was just about to give up when the solution hit me.
When you meet him, the first thing that hits you [=the first thing that you notice] is his air of confidence.
The smell hit me [=I noticed the smell] as soon as I opened the door.
5
: to get or come to (a goal, level, etc.) : reach
He hit 100 mph on his motorcycle.
They expect the temperature to hit 90 this afternoon.
Sales hit $100 million last year alone.
Gold prices hit an all-time high last week.
a singer who can hit the high notes
He kept digging until he hit [=struck] water.
The stock market hit bottom. [=reached an extremely low point]
(informal) Next year he'll hit the big four-oh/five-oh. [=turn 40/50 years of age]
6
informal
: to arrive or appear at, in, or on (a place)
We hit [=went to] the beach nearly every day this summer.
They got up early and headed out to hit the (ski) slopes. [=to go skiing]
The magazine's new issue hits newsstands tomorrow. [=the new issue becomes available on newsstands tomorrow]
The new product should hit the shelves/market soon. = The new product should hit stores soon. [=the new product should be available in stores soon]
These new illegal drugs only recently hit the street. [=became available for illegal purchase]
7
informal
a
: to turn (something) on or off with a switch
Could someone please hit the lights?
b
: to move (a switch) to an on or off position
The lights came on when she hit the switch.
c
: to push down on (the brake pedal or accelerator in a vehicle) in a sudden and forceful way
I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid an accident.
She suddenly hit the accelerator and sped away. = (US) She suddenly hit the gas and sped away.
8
a
: to succeed in hitting (something aimed at) with a shot, throw, etc.
hit the bull's-eye
hit the target
—sometimes used figurativelyHer criticism really hit the mark. [=her criticism was very accurate]
The first shot hit but the second shot missed.
b
: to succeed in making (a shot)
She hit [=made, sank] 40 percent of her shots last season.
She hit her first basket but then missed the next one.
c
: to succeed in making a pass to (another player)
The quarterback hit the wide receiver (with a pass) for a touchdown.
9
a
: to try to hit the ball with a bat in baseball, cricket, or a similar game
It's your turn to hit. [=bat]
b
: to produce (a home run, a ground ball, etc.) by batting
He hit 30 home runs last year.
He hit a ground ball to the shortstop.
She hit a double to left field.
c
: to have a specified batting average
This year he's hitting [=batting] .300. [=his batting average is .300]
d
: to hit the pitches thrown by (a pitcher)
He has hit this pitcher well/poorly in the past.
He has hit well/poorly against this pitcher in the past.
10
not used in progressive tenses informal
: to deal another card to (a player in blackjack)
Hit me. [=deal another card to me]
plural hits
1
a
: an act of hitting someone or something
The player was penalized for an illegal hit from behind.
The torpedo made a direct hit.
b
—used to describe being hit by something (such as a bullet, bomb, punch, etc.) —usually used with take
The bunker took a direct hit from the bombers.
The plane took some hits, but the pilot was able to fly back to the base.
—often used figurativelyHis pride took a hit. [=his pride was hurt]
The company took a public relations hit when it lost the lawsuit. [=the company's public image was damaged when it lost the lawsuit]
She took a big financial hit when the stock market fell. [=she lost a lot of money]
2
a
: something that is very successful
The show was a (smash/big) hit.
The album is a collection of the group's greatest hits. [=the group's most popular and successful songs]
—often used before another nouna hit record/song
a hit movie
b
: someone or something that is liked by someone very much
The pony ride was/made a big hit at the party.
—usually + withThe pony ride was a big hit with the kids at the party. [=the kids at the party enjoyed the pony ride very much]
3
: a successful effort to reach a desired goal or result
His business ventures have been a mixture of hits and misses. [=some of his business ventures have been successful and some have failed]
4
baseball
: base hit
He got/had two hits in last night's game.
5
computers
a
: an act of connecting to a particular Web site
The site had/got over a million hits last month. [=people connected to the site more than a million times last month]
b
: a successful attempt to find something in a search of a computer database or the Internet
A search for his name in the newspaper's database produced/found more than 30 hits.
6
informal
: a single dose of an illegal drug
Can I get a hit?
He took a hit of LSD.
7
informal
: a planned murder done by a paid killer
an attempted hit on the gang's leader
Cite this Entry
“Hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/hit. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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