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Glite Dictionary
to hit on

to hit on

154 7.8
Try to show romantic or sexual interest in someone by making advances
  • phrasal verb
  • /hɪt ɑn/
  • NSFW
translation icon : ligar con
  • "Lester, I heard you were trying to hit on my wife," he said.
  • hit on guys
  • getting hit on
  • hit on girls

I know I've, I've heard people hit on girls.

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Examples

  • Yeah, he hit on my mom one time.

  • Besides, why would I need to hit on another woman?

    How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

  • Never have I ever hit on your friends.

  • Why does she get hit on so easily?

    Science Please! : The Force of Water (1998)

  • No wonder he hit on you.

    Jack Frost (1998)

  • Let's see a show of hands: who has ever been hit on via social media?

    Blog text (11)

  • I'm sure you get hit on all the time.

    People Like Us (2012)

  • You are trying to hit on me, aren't you?

    Fletch (1985)

  • There's a guy on our block who keeps hitting on my girlfriend while he's walking his dog.

    Blog text (2)

  • I noticed him trying to hit on my friend at the party last night.

Synonyms

to flirt
vsto hit on
267 3.1

Behave playfully or tease someone to show romantic interest

is often more focused on explicit advances rather than light playfulness
to proposition
vsto hit on
  • Offensive
10 8.5

To offer sex to someone in a direct way

is less explicit and usually implies milder or earlier-stage advances
to put the moves on
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
10 8.6

Try to attract someone by flirting or making sexual advances

is similar but can be less direct or more casual in approach
to chat up
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
4 7.8

Talk to someone in a friendly way to try to start a romantic relationship

can include talking but also other kinds of advances or signals
to chat someone up
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
3 6.9

Talk to someone in a friendly, flirty way to start a romantic relationship

is broader, including nonverbal or more forward actions to show interest
to move in on
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
3 7.4

To try to get involved with someone or their work in a way they do not want

can be similar but does not necessarily imply intrusion or competition
to give someone the eye
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
2 8.1

Look at someone to show romantic or sexual interest

is more active and often involves words or clear advances
to give the glad eye
vsto hit on
  • NSFW
9.9

Look at someone to show romantic or sexual interest

involves clearer actions or speech rather than only a glance

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to reject
839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

How Flirtatious

to put the moves on
  • NSFW
10 8.6
to hit on
  • NSFW
154 7.8
to flirt
267 3.1

Surface Forms

hit on infinitive
hit on past
hit on past participle
hitting on present participle
hits on third person singular

Morphology

hit + on

The sense 'to show romantic or sexual interest' is an idiomatic, metaphorical extension that cannot be reliably derived from the literal or common figurative senses of 'hit' plus the particle 'on' (which is not semantically transparent here). The construction is language-specific and unpredictable for learners, so an average B1 who knows the parts would unlikely infer the flirting/advance meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb hit on may come from the image of aiming a quick hit on someone to get their attention, like making a small strike with words. So, to hit on someone means 'to flirt with them' or 'to show romantic interest'.