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Glite Dictionary
to hit the spot

to hit the spot

11 5.1
To meet a need exactly, especially hunger or thirst
  • idiom
  • /hɪt ðə spɑt/
  • Informal
translation icon : venir al pelo
  • After a long hike, that sandwich really hit the spot.
  • it really hits the spot
  • yeah, that hit the spot
  • Ah, that hit the spot

Really bad for us, but hits the spot and then we feel gross afterwards.

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Examples

  • Yeah, a little of that Glenlivet might hit the spot.

    The Drowning Pool (1975)

  • Whatever you eat, moderation is key, but some of these suggestions are filling enough to hit the spot and help you stick to your healthy eating plans.

    Blog text (6)

  • Oh, that hit the spot, right, guys?

    Bound & Babysitting (2015)

  • Ah, that hit the spot.

    Arlo: The Burping Pig (2016)

  • Well, that hit the spot.

    The Running Man (1987)

  • Ordered myself a little kid size English breakfast, which hit the spot perfectly.

  • Man, that really hits the spot.

    Dr. Gift (2023)

  • The oats hit the spot.

    Blog text (15)

  • But when I feel like going a little crazy, I go for the name brand Oreos, and they hit the spot.

    Blog text (21)

  • The pork chop with asparagus and chutney hit the spot.

    Blog text (19)

Synonyms

to sate
vsto hit the spot
11 6.2

To fully satisfy a need like hunger or curiosity

satisfies by matching the need exactly rather than filling it completely
to satiate
vsto hit the spot
9 7.1

To make someone feel they have had enough to eat or drink

satisfies exactly without implying excessive or overfull feeling
to scratch an itch
vsto hit the spot
  • Informal
4.3

Satisfy a strong wish you cannot ignore

satisfies precisely the specific need rather than only easing an urge

Antonyms

to disappoint
492 1.0

Fail to do what someone hoped for

to dissatisfy
1 4.3

To make someone unhappy because something does not meet their needs or wants

How Satisfying

to hit the spot
  • Informal
11 5.1
to satisfy
172 2.0
to do the trick
  • Informal
80 3.7

Surface Forms

hit the spot infinitive

Morphology

hit + the + spot

The meaning 'to satisfy exactly' follows directly from combining 'hit' (to strike or reach a target) with 'spot' (a precise place or target) — literally "to hit the target" which maps easily onto satisfying a need. This simple target metaphor is common and compositional, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents is likely to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The idiom hit the spot may come from the simple picture of hitting the exact part of a target. If you hit the right spot, the result is perfect, so the phrase now means 'to be exactly what you need'.