📒 to bring your hand, or an object you are holding, against somebody/something quickly and with force
- hit somebody/something I was afraid he was going to hit me.
- hit somebody/something with something She hit him with her umbrella.
- hit somebody/something in/on something Someone hit him in the face.
📒 to come against something/somebody with force, especially causing damage or injury
- hit something/somebody The bus hit the bridge.
- The boy was hit by a speeding car.
- hit against something/somebody The boat hit against an object under the surface of the water.
📒 to knock a part of your body against something
- I must have hit my knee.
- hit something on something He hit his head on the low ceiling.
- hit something against something As she stood up, she hit her hand against the edge of the table.
📒 to reach and touch a person or thing suddenly and with force
- be hit by somebody/something The town was hit by bombs again last night.
- He was hit by a sniper.
- hit somebody/something Not all the bullets hit their targets.
📒 to bring a bat, etc. against a ball and push it away with force
- She hit the ball and ran to first base.
- hit something + adv./prep. I hit the ball too hard and it went out of the court.
- We've hit our ball over the fence!
📒 to score points by hitting a ball
📒 to press something such as a button to operate a machine, etc.
- Hit the brakes!
- He picked up the phone and hit several buttons.
- I found the impulse to hit the fast-forward button to be quite overwhelming.
📒 to have a bad effect on somebody/something
- hit (somebody/something) The tax increases will certainly hit the poor.
- His death didn't really hit me at first.
- A tornado hit on Tuesday night.
📒 to attack somebody/something
- We hit the enemy when they least expected it.
📒 to reach a place
- Follow this footpath and you'll eventually hit the road.
- The President hits town tomorrow.
- Traffic was heavy when they hit the main road.
📒 to reach a particular level
- Temperatures hit 40° yesterday.
- The euro hit a record low in trading today.
- (British English) We hit top form (= played our best) in yesterday’s match.
📒 to experience something difficult or unpleasant
- We seem to have hit a problem.
- Everything was going well but then we hit trouble.
📒 to come suddenly into your mind
- hit somebody The idea hit me like a tornado.
- it hits somebody I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before, and then it suddenly hit me.
- it hits somebody that… That's when it really hit me that we were in deep trouble.
📒 to become widely available for sale
- the latest board game to hit the market
- to hit the shops/stores/shelves
- Her shocking autobiography is about to hit the streets.
📒 to be an important item of news in the media
- He always manages to grab the headlines.
- The hospital hit the headlines when a number of suspicious deaths occurred.
- The story was important enough to make the headlines.
📒 to be very successful
- The band has hit big in the US.
📒 if a plan, somebody’s career, etc. hits the buffers, it suddenly stops being successful
- The former tennis star’s comeback trail hit the buffers yesterday when she lost in straight sets.
📒 to fall to the ground
📒 to affect somebody very deeply
- The business over the lawsuit had really knocked her for six.
📒 to start doing something and continue very quickly and successfully
📒 to go to bed
- I decided to hit the sack and have an early night.
📒 if a remark, etc. hits/strikes home, it has a strong effect on somebody, in a way that makes them realize what the true facts of a situation are
- Her face went pale as his words hit home.
📒 to be very obvious to somebody
📒 used to tell somebody to start doing something, such as playing music
📒 to have a good friendly relationship with somebody
- We hit it off straight away.
📒 to make or win a lot of money quickly and unexpectedly
📒 to succeed/fail in achieving or guessing something
- He blushed furiously and Robyn knew she had hit the mark.
- The film misses the mark because it just isn't believable.
📒 to say something that is exactly right
📒 to mention a subject that makes somebody feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.
- You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife.
- My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve.
- The article struck a raw nerve as it revived unpleasant memories.
📒 to suddenly be in a successful situation, especially one that makes you rich
- The band really hit pay dirt with their last album.
📒 to do, say or write something that is suitable/not suitable for a particular occasion
- It is a bizarre tale and the author hits just the right note of horror and disbelief.
- Unfortunately, the president struck the wrong note in his speech, ignoring the public mood.
📒 to start a journey
- The following spring I hit the road.
📒 to suddenly become very angry
📒 if something hits the spot it does exactly what it should do
📒 to begin to do something with confidence and at a good speed after a slow, uncertain start
- After a nervous start, he finally hit his stride in the second set.
- The team took time to hit stride.
- The show finally hit its stride in the second season.
📒 to reach a point when you cannot continue or make any more progress
- We hit a wall and we weren't scoring.
- I’ve hit a wall with my marathon training.
- What do you do when you hit the wall at work?
📒 to continue to hurt somebody when they are already defeated
📒 to affect somebody where they will feel it most
📒 to hit the wooden frame of the goal in the game of football (soccer), instead of scoring a goal
- She hit the woodwork twice before scoring.
📒 to be so surprised by something that you do not know how to react
📒 when somebody in authority finds out about something bad or wrong that somebody has done
- When the shit hits the fan, I don't want to be here.