hit

/hɪt/

/hɪt/
IPA guide

Other forms: hits; hitting

When you hit someone, you smack or strike them — either with an object or with your hand. If you're frustrated about how slowly the traffic is moving, you might hit the dashboard of your car with your fist. Ouch.

A boxer can hit a punching bag, and you can slip and hit your head on a chair. Other kinds of hits include bombs, bullets, or missiles striking targets; assassins or "hitmen" killing someone for pay; and reaching a certain goal, like when you hit a high note or your income hits six figures. You can also colloquially "hit the road," or get going; and "hit up" your friend for five dollars, or ask to borrow it.

Definitions of hit
  1. verb
    deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument
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    types:
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    clap
    strike with the flat of the hand; usually in a friendly way, as in encouragement or greeting
    bang, slam
    strike violently
    lace into, lam into, lay into, pitch into, tear into
    hit violently, as in an attack
    kick
    strike with the foot
    swipe
    strike with a swiping motion
    smite
    inflict a heavy blow on, with the hand, a tool, or a weapon
    hook
    hit with a hook
    swat
    hit swiftly with a violent blow
    bash, bonk, bop, sock, whap, whop
    hit hard
    bean
    hit on the head, especially with a pitched baseball
    pop
    hit or strike
    catch, get
    reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
    conk
    hit, especially on the head
    cosh
    hit with a cosh, usually on the head
    brain
    hit on the head
    blast, boom, nail, smash
    hit hard
    crack
    hit forcefully; deal a hard blow, making a cracking noise
    sandbag, stun
    hit something or somebody as if with a sandbag
    bat
    strike with, or as if with a baseball bat
    bat
    use a bat
    bat
    have a turn at bat
    cut
    hit (a ball) with a spin so that it turns in the opposite direction
    poke, pound, thump
    hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
    smack, thwack
    deliver a hard blow to
    belt
    deliver a blow to
    plug, punch
    deliver a quick blow to
    slog, slug, swig
    strike heavily, especially with the fist or a bat
    wallop, whack, wham, whop
    hit hard
    biff, pommel, pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    buff, buffet
    strike, beat repeatedly
    box
    hit with the fist
    bludgeon, club
    strike with a club or a bludgeon
    cudgel, fustigate
    strike with a cudgel
    scuff
    poke at with the foot or toe
    boot
    kick; give a boot to
    switch-hit
    bat right-handed against a left-handed and left-handed against a right-handed pitcher
    type of:
    touch
    make physical contact with, come in contact with
  2. verb
    hit with a missile from a weapon
    synonyms: pip, shoot
    strike
    make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target
    blast, shoot
    fire a shot
    pip, shoot
    kill by firing a missile
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    types:
    gun down
    strike down or shoot down
    grass
    shoot down, of birds
    kneecap
    shoot in the kneecap, often done by terrorist groups as a warning
    type of:
    injure, wound
    cause injuries or bodily harm to
  3. verb
    hit the intended target or goal
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    type of:
    bring home the bacon, come through, deliver the goods, succeed, win
    attain success or reach a desired goal
  4. verb
    kill intentionally and with premeditation
    synonyms: bump off, dispatch, murder, off, polish off, remove, slay
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    types:
    burke
    murder without leaving a trace on the body
    execute
    murder in a planned fashion
    type of:
    kill
    cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
  5. verb
    hit against; come into sudden contact with
    “The car hit a tree”
    synonyms: collide with, impinge on, run into, strike
    strike, zonk
    deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
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    antonyms:
    miss
    fail to reach
    types:
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    stub
    strike (one's toe) accidentally against an object
    ping
    hit with a pinging noise
    bang, spang
    leap, jerk, bang
    rear-end
    collide with the rear end of
    broadside
    collide with the broad side of
    connect
    land on or hit solidly
    spat
    strike with a sound like that of falling rain
    thud
    strike with a dull sound
    bottom
    strike the ground, as with a ship's bottom
    bottom out
    hit the ground
    bump, knock
    knock against with force or violence
    bump into, butt against, jar against, knock against, run into
    collide violently with an obstacle
    clash, collide
    crash together with violent impact
    glance
    hit at an angle
    smash
    collide or strike violently and suddenly
    shock
    collide violently
    crash, ram
    undergo damage or destruction on impact
    type of:
    touch
    make physical contact with, come in contact with
  6. verb
    cause to move by striking
    “hit a ball”
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    types:
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    play
    shoot or hit in a particular manner
    foul
    hit a foul ball
    cannon
    make a cannon
    clap
    strike together so as to produce a sharp percussive noise
    ground out
    make an out by hitting the ball on the ground
    toe
    drive (a golf ball) with the toe of the club
    shank
    hit (a golf ball) with the heel of a club, causing the ball to veer in the wrong direction
    pitch
    hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin
    fly
    hit a fly
    hike, snap
    put in play with a snap
    whang
    propel or hit with force
    undercut
    strike (the ball) in golf, tennis, or hockey obliquely downward so as to give a backspin or elevation to the shot
    putt
    strike (a golf ball) lightly, with a putter
    heel
    strike with the heel of the club
    toe
    hit (a golf ball) with the toe of the club
    bunker
    hit a golf ball into a bunker
    bounce
    hit something so that it bounces
    backhand
    hit a tennis ball backhand
    pop
    hit a pop-fly
    follow through
    carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball
    shell
    hit the pitches of hard and regularly
    ground
    hit onto the ground
    ground
    hit a groundball
    top
    strike (the top part of a ball in golf, baseball, or pool) giving it a forward spin
    pull
    hit in the direction that the player is facing when carrying through the swing
    kill
    hit with great force
    kill
    hit with so much force as to make a return impossible, in racket games
    connect
    hit or play a ball successfully
    drive
    hit very hard, as by swinging a bat horizontally
    drive
    strike with a driver, as in teeing off
    hole, hole out
    hit the ball into the hole
    bunt, drag a bunt
    hit a ball in such a way so as to make it go a short distance
    snick
    hit a glancing blow with the edge of the bat
    racket
    hit (a ball) with a racket
    carry, dribble
    propel, "Carry the ball"
    slice
    hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels in a different direction
    hook
    hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels to the left
    single
    hit a single
    double
    hit a two-base hit
    triple
    hit a three-base hit
    smash
    hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke
    shoot
    throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective
    volley
    hit before it touches the ground
    croquet
    drive away by hitting with one's ball, "croquet the opponent's ball"
    loft
    kick or strike high in the air
    hook
    secure with the foot
    bounce out
    bounce a ball so that it becomes an out
    foul out
    baseball: hit a ball such that it is caught from an out in foul territory
    dunk
    make a dunk shot, in basketball
    break
    make the opening shot that scatters the balls
    chip
    play a chip shot
    carom
    make a carom
    birdie
    shoot in one stroke under par
    double birdie, eagle
    shoot two strokes under par
    double bogey
    to shoot two strokes over par
    bogey
    to shoot in one stroke over par
    knuckle
    shoot a marble while keeping one's knuckles on the ground
    type of:
    impel, propel
    cause to move forward with force
  7. verb
    make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target
    synonyms: strike
    pip, shoot
    hit with a missile from a weapon
    strike
    affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely
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    types:
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    slice
    hit a ball so that it causes a backspin
    chop
    hit sharply
    stroke
    strike a ball with a smooth blow
    retaliate, strike back
    make a counterattack and return like for like, especially evil for evil
    type of:
    assail, attack
    launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
  8. verb
    drive something violently into a location
    “he hit his fist on the table”
    synonyms: strike
    see moresee less
    types:
    smash
    hit violently
    type of:
    displace, move
    cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
  9. verb
    affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely
    “We were hit by really bad weather”
    synonyms: strike
    strike
    make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target
    see moresee less
    type of:
    affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on
    have an effect upon
  10. noun
    the act of contacting one thing with another
    “after three misses she finally got a hit”
    synonyms: hitting, striking
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    types:
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    contusion
    the action of bruising
    crash, smash
    the act of colliding with something
    bunt
    (baseball) the act of hitting a baseball lightly without swinging the bat
    fly, fly ball
    (baseball) a hit that flies up in the air
    ground ball, groundball, grounder, hopper
    (baseball) a hit that travels along the ground
    header
    (soccer) the act of hitting the ball with your head
    scorcher, screamer
    a very hard hit ball
    plunk, plunker
    (baseball) hitting a baseball so that it drops suddenly
    impaction, impingement
    a sharp collision produced by striking or dashing against something
    blast
    a very long fly ball
    pop fly, pop-fly, pop-up
    a short high fly ball
    chop, chopper
    a grounder that bounces high in the air
    roller
    a grounder that rolls along the infield
    line drive, liner
    (baseball) a hit that flies straight out from the batter
    flare
    (baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield
    Texas leaguer
    (baseball) a fly ball that falls between and infielder and an outfielder
    type of:
    touch, touching
    the act of putting two things together with no space between them
  11. noun
    (physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together
    synonyms: collision
    see moresee less
    type of:
    contact, impinging, striking
    the physical coming together of two or more things
  12. noun
    (baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball)
    “he came all the way around on Williams' hit”
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    types:
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    base hit, safety
    (baseball) the successful act of striking a baseball in such a way that the batter reaches base safely
    home run, homer
    (baseball) a base hit on which the batter scores a run
    bingle, single
    a base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base
    double, two-bagger, two-base hit, two-baser
    a base hit on which the batter stops safely at second base
    three-bagger, three-base hit, triple
    a base hit at which the batter stops safely at third base
    type of:
    effort, exploit, feat
    a notable achievement
  13. noun
    a murder carried out by an underworld syndicate
    “it has all the earmarks of a Mafia hit”
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    type of:
    execution, murder, slaying
    unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by a human being
  14. verb
    reach a destination, either real or abstract
    “We hit Detroit by noon”
    synonyms: arrive at, attain, gain, make, reach
    make
    reach in time
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    types:
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    catch up
    reach the point where one should be after a delay
    scale, surmount
    reach the highest point of
    access, get at
    reach or gain access to
    bottom out
    reach the low point
    peak, top out
    to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity
    breast, summit
    reach the summit (of a mountain)
    top
    reach or ascend the top of
    make
    reach in time
    find
    succeed in reaching; arrive at
    culminate
    reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body
    come through, get through
    succeed in reaching a real or abstract destination after overcoming problems
    ground, run aground
    hit or reach the ground
    come back
    even the score, in sports
    crest
    reach a high point
  15. verb
    reach a point in time, or a certain state or level
    “The thermometer hit 100 degrees”
    synonyms: attain, reach
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    types:
    max out
    reach a maximum
    break even
    attain a level at which there is neither gain nor loss, as in business, gambling, or a competitive sport
    type of:
    arrive, come, get
    reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
  16. noun
    a conspicuous success
    “that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career”
    synonyms: bang, smash, smasher, strike
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    types:
    blockbuster, megahit, smash hit
    an unusually successful hit with widespread popularity and huge sales (especially a movie or play or recording or novel)
    sleeper
    an unexpected hit
    type of:
    success
    an attainment that is successful
  17. verb
    encounter by chance
    synonyms: stumble
    see moresee less
    type of:
    come by, come into
    obtain, especially accidentally
  18. verb
    cause to experience suddenly
    “An interesting idea hit her”
    synonyms: come to, strike
    affect, impress, move, strike
    have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
  19. noun
    a connection made via the internet to another website
    “WordNet gets many hits from users worldwide”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    connection, connexion, joining
    the act of bringing two things into contact (especially for communication)
  20. verb
    gain points in a game
    “He hit a home run”
    “He hit .300 in the past season”
    synonyms: rack up, score, tally
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    types:
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    par
    make a score (on a hole) equal to par
    shoot
    score
    convert
    score (a spare)
    convert
    complete successfully
    convert
    score an extra point or points after touchdown by kicking the ball through the uprights or advancing the ball into the end zone
    homer
    hit a home run
    kick
    make a goal
    eagle
    shoot in two strokes under par
    hole up
    score a hole in one
    ace
    score an ace against
    walk
    obtain a base on balls
    equalise, equalize, get even
    compensate; make the score equal
    get, have, make
    achieve a point or goal
    place-kick
    score (a goal) by making a place kick
    type of:
    advance, gain, gain ground, get ahead, make headway, pull ahead, win
    obtain advantages, such as points, etc.
  21. verb
    produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical instruments, also metaphorically
    synonyms: strike
    see moresee less
    type of:
    touch
    make physical contact with, come in contact with
  22. verb
    consume to excess
    see moresee less
    type of:
    consume, have, ingest, take, take in
    serve oneself to, or consume regularly
  23. verb
    pay unsolicited and usually unwanted sexual attention to
    see moresee less
    type of:
    approach
    make advances to someone, usually with a proposal or suggestion
  24. noun
    a dose of a narcotic drug
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dosage, dose
    a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time
Pronunciation
US

/hɪt/
UK

/hɪt/
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