to hit the dirt
3
7.5
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
tirarse al suelo
- When the gunfire started, everyone in the street had to hit the dirt to avoid being injured.
Examples
-
For some reason, Matt raised the gun and shot Hub's shack, and Hub hit the dirt with his hands over his head.
Fiction book (1995) -
I lost my Kevlar helmet when I hit the dirt, but my headset stayed on.
Fiction book (1995) -
I nearly hit the dirt back there.
-
Down they go, hit the dirt.
Fiction book (1996) -
When he hits the dirt, you get the ball back to me, quick as you can.
-
Hit the dirt, big guy!
-
When our fellas put their lanterns out, you just hit the dirt.
-
Murphy sees the flashlight turning his way and hits the dirt.
Fiction book (1999) -
Murphy hits the dirt, rolls, pops to his feet, and runs deeper into the Iron Man course.
Fiction book (1999) -
He hits the dirt as bullets tear up the earth in front of him.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
64
3.6
Touch the ground after falling or being dropped
10
6.5
To drop to the ground quickly to avoid danger
3
4.2
To lower your body quickly by bending your knees to avoid being seen or hit
Antonyms
How Quickly
- Informal
3
7.5
117
1.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'hit' and 'dirt' create a clear image of making contact with the ground, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer a meaning like 'fall or hit the ground.' However, the specific conventionalized sense 'drop to the ground quickly to avoid danger' and the urgency implied are somewhat idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts alone, so some learners may misinterpret or miss the nuance without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase hit the dirt comes from the picture of someone dropping fast so their body or hands hit the dirt, the ground, to avoid bullets or danger. That's why it means 'to drop to the ground quickly, especially to avoid danger'.