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hit

hit

459 1.0
A single strong blow against someone or something
  • noun
  • /hɪt/
translation icon : golpe
  • That was a hard hit between the right and center fielders!
  • take a hit
  • a direct hit
  • a hard hit

They're trading up, you know, like hits and blows and shots.

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Examples

  • Girls, as a group, made fewer hits against the wall target in both the pre- and post-tests.

    Academic text (1990)
  • After the car accident, the driver was shocked by the severity of the hit to his vehicle.

  • Direct hit, but the target is still moving, sir.

  • But his face looked as if he had just taken a hit in the mouth.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Deep enough to survive a direct hit from anything short of a nuclear weapon.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • That's a direct hit, sir.

  • Johnson's chopper took another hit.

  • Here are some photos from the hard-hit Rockaway section of Queens, New York.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The mean score improved from 7:2 hits in the pre-test to 20.7 hits in the post-test.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The boxer received a hard hit to the jaw during the match.

Synonyms

impact
vshit
371 3.7

A sudden, forceful hit between two things

is the common everyday act including both blows and collisions
beating
vshit
  • NSFW
276 4.2

Hitting a person many times as punishment or violence

is the wider category that also covers single nonpunitive impacts
blow
vshit
271 2.0

A strong hit from a fist or weapon

covers that single impact but also broader kinds of forceful contact
collision
vshit
148 3.8

A crash when two moving vehicles hit each other

includes such events but also single deliberate blows or strikes
knockdown
vshit
9 5.5

A hit that makes an opponent fall to the ground in boxing

is the general act of forceful contact, not focused on that result
smash
vshit
7 3.7

A violent crash that causes a loud noise and damage

is similar but also applies to direct strikes on people or objects
bashing
vshit
  • NSFW
7 4.4

A violent act of hitting a person or damaging a thing

can mean a single act of contact rather than repeated violent strikes
hitting
vshit
1 1.0

An act of striking something with force, often with a hand or object

has identical meaning but differs mainly in grammatical form
striking
vshit
1 4.4

An act of hitting one thing against another, often with force

is the general term for such contact rather than a technical label
smacking
vshit
1 4.6

A quick hard hit with an open hand that makes a sharp sound

is a general forceful contact not limited to open hand actions
slugging
vshit
  • Informal
1 4.8

Hitting someone or something very hard, often with a fist

is broader and includes less forceful or varied methods of contact
impingement
vshit
8.4

A sharp hit when one thing strikes another

is the general act of forceful contact, not only sharp collisions
impaction
vshit
9.3

A strong hit that makes a sudden hard contact with something

is broader, covering any act of forceful contact or impact

Idioms

To have a big, unexpected success because of luck

22 4.8

To reach the lowest point in your life before you begin to get better

17 3.4

To have a big success people do not expect

to hit the books
  • Informal
12 3.9

To study hard, usually by reading books or notes

to hit the spot
  • Informal
11 5.1

To meet a need exactly, especially hunger or thirst

to hit the sack
  • Informal
10 6.0

To go to bed to sleep

to hit pay dirt
  • Informal
8 7.5

To find big success or money after trying hard

to hit the hay
  • Informal
8 6.0

To go to bed to sleep after a long day

7 4.5

To become very successful and famous in your work

To go through a short time with problems after a good time

to hit the roof
  • Informal
4 6.7

To suddenly become very angry

4 3.7

To go to bed and fall asleep quickly because you are tired

3 9.4

Start drinking a lot of alcohol to cope with problems

3 6.5

Start performing at your best after some practice

3 6.8

To suddenly get very angry

to hit the skids
  • Informal
3 8.4

Start to fail after a time of success

2 9.5

To leave a place, often to walk somewhere or to look for work

to hit the rocks
  • Informal
1 7.4

Start having serious problems that lead to failure

1 8.6

To go to bed to sleep

To go out onto the street to look for work, run for exercise, or sell things

To go surfing in the sea for fun

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

Do much better than expected

Do exactly what you intend

1 9.9

To call someone ugly as a joke

Something that children like a lot

To be very bad at aiming at a target

9.9

To suddenly understand something you should have noticed earlier

Say mean things to someone when they are already in trouble

Cause a sudden sick feeling of fear or shock in the stomach

To feel sudden shock or surprise

To suddenly feel a very strong emotion that you cannot control

Progress stops because people disagree or something blocks it

8.3

To make someone laugh a lot

9.9

To suddenly become very angry and act aggressive

to hit the buffers
  • Literature
8.4

Suddenly stop or fail because of a big problem

To attack the most important part of an argument or plan

To do something exactly right

To do one thing that solves two problems

To explain something clearly so someone finally understands

Compounds

hit man
  • Offensive
57 7.6

A person who criminals pay to kill someone

54 2.7

Something that many people like or buy, especially in one group

28 3.7

A road accident where the driver leaves without stopping to help or give details

26 5.4

A vehicle crash caused by a driver who leaves without helping or saying who they are

18 2.8

A product, show or event that is very successful and liked by many people

hit list
  • Offensive
17 7.8

A list of people marked to be harmed or killed, often by criminals

10 3.3

A hit that lets the batter reach base safely, not because of an error or fielder's choice

9 3.4

A very popular song released on its own that reaches the top of music charts

9 3.4

A very popular film, song, or book that many people enjoy

7 2.7

A new song that many people like and play a lot

hit squad
  • Offensive
6 8.4

A group of people hired to kill someone for political or criminal reasons

hit parade
  • Archaic
4 4.7

A list showing the most popular songs, films, or books

hit-or-miss
  • Informal
3 6.9

Sometimes works well and sometimes fails depending on luck

2 6.1

A quick attack where the attackers leave immediately

hit woman
  • NSFW
1 9.1

A woman who is paid to kill people, often using a gun

The most popular thing or person at a party

A song that stays popular and is loved for many years

king hit
  • NSFW
9.5

A sudden very strong blow or event that has a big effect

A catchy pop song that young women like

hit and giggle
  • Informal
8.2

A relaxed, fun activity people do for enjoyment, not to compete

A sudden strong feeling of worry or loss of confidence

no-hit game
  • Jargon
5.9

A baseball game when a pitcher does not let the other team get any hits

no-hit wonder
  • Literature
8.8

A person, group, or work that never becomes popular and has no hit

5.1

A baseball hit that lets the batter reach third base safely

two-base hit
  • Specialized
4.2

A baseball play when the batter reaches second base safely

A very popular pop song played a lot on radio and online

How Hard

smash
7 3.7
to strike
553 2.4
hit
459 1.0
knock
32 1.0
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

hit singular
hits plural

Etymology

Hit as a noun comes from the verb that meant 'to strike', so a hit is the act of striking or a strong impact that happens when one thing hits another.