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Glite Dictionary
to hit the bullseye

to hit the bullseye

1 5.1
Do exactly what you intend
  • idiom
translation icon : dar en el blanco
  • After manufacturing slingshots that fired small rubber balls, the children emulated David by attempting to hit the bullseye on a poster of Goliath.

The first thing I wanted to ask is how long on average, do different age groups need to try before they hit the bullseye?

Examples

  • Mitt hit the bullseye big time with that comment!

    Blog text (16)

  • Not coincidentally, Rasmussen called the 2004 election within 1% and hit the bullseye in the 2008 election.

    Blog text (7)

  • Then you look at BB didn't even hit the bullseye and his score is like really lousy.

  • Hawkes hits the bullseye with a performance that is dramatic but also surprisingly funny, and he could get his second nomination in just two years after landing in the supporting category for Winter's Bone in 2010.

    Blog text (21)

  • The marketing campaign really hit the bullseye by resonating with our target audience.

  • With that argument, she hit the bullseye during the debate, convincing everyone of her point.

  • When he finally shared his thoughts, he hit the bullseye with exactly what everyone needed to hear.

Synonyms

to hit the target
vsto hit the bullseye
10 3.5

To reach the thing you aim at or the goal you planned

focuses on being precisely correct rather than only reaching a goal
to hit the target dead on
vsto hit the bullseye
3.9

To do something exactly right

is about exactly matching the original intention rather than only accuracy

Antonyms

to miss the mark
14 5.5

Fail to do what you meant to do

How Accurate

to hit the bullseye
1 5.1
to come close
72 2.9
to fall short
64 3.9

Surface Forms

hit the bullseye infinitive

Morphology

hit + the + bullseye

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'hit' (to strike or reach a target) with 'bullseye' (the exact center of a target), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer 'achieve exactly what was intended.' The definite article 'the' adds no idiomatic complexity, and the target/accuracy metaphor is cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Hit the bullseye comes from target shooting: to hit the small bullseye in the centre of a target means you are exactly on target. So it now means 'to be exactly right' or 'to achieve exactly what you wanted'.