hit

UK: /ˈhɪt/ US: /hɪt/ ,(hit)

Inflections of 'hit' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

hits

v 3rd person singular

hitting

v pres p

hit

v past

hit

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

hit /hɪt/   v., hit, hit•ting, n. 
v. 

1. to deal a blow or stroke to:
   [~ + object] Hit the nail with the hammer.
2. to come against with an impact or with force: [~ + object]
   The wheel of the car hit the curb.
   [~ + against + object]
   The car hit against the railing.
   [~ + on + object]
   Hailstones hit on the roof.
3. to reach;
   strike:
   [~ + object] Did the arrow hit the target?
4. to drive or propel by a stroke:
   [~ + object] to hit a ball onto the green.
5. to have a significant effect or influence on;
   affect severely:
   [~ + object] families hit hard by inflation.
6. to come to (one's) mind:
   [~ + object] Suddenly it hit us like a thunderbolt: the detective and the murderer were one and the same.
7. Informal. [~ + object] to request of:
   He hit me for a loan.
8. to reach or attain (a level or amount):
   [~ + object] Prices hit a new high.
9. to be published in or on:
   [~ + object] The story hit the front page.
10. to land on or arrive in:
    [~ + object] The troops hit the beach at dawn.
11. to come (upon) by accident or search: [~ + object]
    to hit the right answer.
    [~ + on/upon + object]
    He finally hit on a solution to the problem.
12. to succeed in attaining:
    [~ + object] He hit just the right tone in his letter of apology.
13. Automotive (of an engine) to ignite a mixture of air and fuel as designed:
    [no object] not hitting on all cylinders.
14. hit back, [no object]
    • to strike or deal a blow:
      just stood there and didn't hit back.
    • to make a verbal attack:
      was advised to hit back against the false charges her opponent had made.
15. hit out, [no obj]
    • to aim a blow:
      hit out at his assailant.
    • to make a verbal attack:
      to hit out angrily against his critics.
16. hit up, [Slang.]
    • to ask to borrow money from: [~ + object + up]
      hit me up for ten bucks.
      [~ + up + object]
      Can't we hit up your brother for the money?
    • [no obj] to inject a narcotic drug into a vein.

n. [countable]

17. an impact;
    strike;
    collision:
    a sudden hit against a window.
18. a blow:
    a direct hit.
19. critical comment:
    The candidate took several hits from the press during the interview.
20. Sport base hit.
21. a success:
    The play is a big hit.
22. Slang Terms a dose of a narcotic drug.
23. Slang Terms a gangland murder.

Idioms

24. Idioms hit it off, to become friendly:
    The two hit it off immediately.
25. Idioms hit the books, [Slang.] to study hard;
    cram.
26. hit the bottle, to drink too much alcohol.
27. Idioms hit the ceiling or roof, [Informal.] to lose one's temper;
    be enraged.
28. Idioms hit the hay or sack, [Slang.] to go to bed;
    go to sleep:
    Let's hit the sack.
29. Idioms hit the nail on the head, to say or do exactly the right thing.

hit•ter, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hit  (hit), v., hit, hit•ting, n. 
v.t. 

1. to deal a blow or stroke to:
   Hit the nail with the hammer.
2. to come against with an impact or collision, as a missile, a flying fragment, a falling body, or the like:
   The car hit the tree.
3. to reach with a missile, a weapon, a blow, or the like, as one throwing, shooting, or striking:
   Did the bullet hit him?
4. to succeed in striking:
   With his final shot he hit the mark.
5. Sport [Baseball.]
   • to make (a base hit):
     He hit a single and a home run.
   • bat¹ (def. 14).
6. to drive or propel by a stroke:
   to hit a ball onto the green.
7. to have a marked effect or influence on;
   affect severely:
   We were all hit by the change in management.
8. to assail effectively and sharply (often fol. by out):
   The speech hits out at warmongering.
9. to request or demand of:
   He hit me for a loan.
10. to reach or attain (a specified level or amount):
    Prices are expected to hit a new low. The new train can hit 100 mph.
11. to be published in or released to;
    appear in:
    When will this report hit the papers? What will happen when the story hits the front page?
12. to land on or arrive in:
    The troops hit the beach at 0800. When does Harry hit town?
13. to give (someone) another playing card, drink, portion, etc.:
    If the dealer hits me with an ace, I'll win the hand. Bartender, hit me again.
14. to come or light upon;
    meet with;
    find:
    to hit the right road.
15. to agree with;
    suit exactly:
    I'm sure this purple shirt will hit Alfred's fancy.
16. to solve or guess correctly;
    come upon the right answer or solution:
    You've hit it!
17. to succeed in representing or producing exactly:
    to hit a likeness in a portrait.
18. Informal Terms to begin to travel on:
    Let's hit the road. What time shall we hit the trail?

v.i. 

19. to strike with a missile, a weapon, or the like;
    deal a blow or blows:
    The armies hit at dawn.
20. to come into collision (often fol. by against, on, or upon):
    The door hit against the wall.
21. Slang Terms to kill;
    murder.
22. Automotive (of an internal-combustion engine) to ignite a mixture of air and fuel as intended:
    This jalopy is hitting on all cylinders.
23. to come or light (usually fol. by upon or on):
    to hit on a new way.
24. Informal Terms, Idioms hit it off, to be congenial or compatible;
    get along;
    agree:
    We hit it off immediately with the new neighbors. She and her brother had never really hit it off.
25. hit off:
    • to represent or describe precisely or aptly:
      In his new book he hits off the American temperament with amazing insight.
    • to imitate, esp. in order to satirize.
26. hit on, [Slang.] to make persistent sexual advances to:
    guys who hit on girls at social events.
27. hit out:
    • to deal a blow aimlessly:
      a child hitting out in anger and frustration.
    • to make a violent verbal attack:
      Critics hit out at the administration's new energy policy.
28. hit the books, [Slang.] to study hard;
    cram.
29. Idioms hit the bottle, [Slang.] See bottle (def. 4).
30. Idioms hit the high spots:
    • to go out on the town;
      go nightclubbing:
      We'll hit the high spots when you come to town.
    • to do something in a quick or casual manner, paying attention to only the most important or obvious facets or items:
      When I clean the house I hit the high spots and that's about all. This course will hit the high spots of ancient history.
31. hit up, [Slang.]
    • to ask to borrow money from:
      He hit me up for ten bucks.
    • to inject a narcotic drug into a vein.

n. 

32. an impact or collision, as of one thing against another.
33. a stroke that reaches an object;
    blow.
34. a stroke of satire, censure, etc.:
    a hit at complacency.
35. Sport [Baseball.] See base hit. 
36. Games [Backgammon.]
    • a game won by a player after the opponent has thrown off one or more men from the board.
    • any winning game.
37. a successful stroke, performance, or production;
    success:
    The play is a hit.
38. Slang Terms a dose of a narcotic drug.
39. Computing
    • [Computers.] (in information retrieval) an instance of successfully locating an item of data in the memory bank of a computer.
    • an instance of accessing a Web site.
40. Slang Terms a killing, murder, or assassination, esp. one carried out by criminal prearrangements.
41. Idioms hit or miss, without concern for correctness or detail;
    haphazardly:
    The paint job had been done hit or miss.

• Scandinavian; compare Old Norse hitta to come upon (by chance), meet with
• bef. 1100; 1865–70, American. for def. 5a; Middle English hitten, Old English hittan; perh.

hit′less, adj. 
hit′ta•ble, adj. 
hit′ter, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. See strike, beat. 33, 35, 37. See blow ¹.

hit, +n. 

1. [Computers.] an instance of accessing a Web site.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hit / hɪt/ verb (hits, hitting, hit)(mainly tr)

1. (also intr) to deal (a blow or stroke) to (a person or thing); strike
2. to come into violent contact with: the car hit the tree
3. to reach or strike with a missile, thrown object, etc: to hit a target
4. to make or cause to make forceful contact; knock or bump: I hit my arm on the table
5. to propel or cause to move by striking: to hit a ball
6. to score (runs)
7. to affect (a person, place, or thing) suddenly or adversely: his illness hit his wife very hard
8. to achieve or reach: to hit the jackpot, unemployment hit a new high
9. to experience or encounter: I've hit a slight snag here
10. to murder (a rival criminal) in fulfilment of an underworld contract or vendetta
11. to set out on (a road, path, etc): let's hit the road
12. to arrive or appear in: he will hit town tomorrow night
13. to demand or request from: he hit me for a pound
14. to drink an excessive amount of (alcohol): to hit the bottle

noun

1. an impact or collision
2. a shot, blow, etc, that reaches its object
3. an apt, witty, or telling remark
4. a person or thing that gains wide appeal: she's a hit with everyone
5. (as modifier): a hit record
6. a stroke of luck
7. a murder carried out as the result of an underworld vendetta or rivalry
8. (as modifier): a hit squad
9. a single visit to a website
10. make a hit with, score a hit with ⇒ to make a favourable impression on

Etymology: Old English hittan, from Old Norse hitta