hit

hit1 [ hıt ] (past tense and past participle hit) verb ***

▸ 1 touch something with force

▸ 2 have bad effect on

▸ 3 when you realize something

▸ 4 reach place/state etc.

▸ 5 press switch etc.

▸ 6 achieve score in sport

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive to move your hand or an object onto someone's body with great force, so that you hurt them:

Don't hit your brother!

hit someone on the shoulder/cheek/arm etc.: He hit me on the shoulder.

hit someone with something: James was hit with a baseball bat.

hit someone in the face/eye/stomach: They hit me in the stomach.

a ) if a vehicle hits something or someone, it moves against them with great force:

She was hit by a speeding car.

The truck hit the wall.

My car was hit from behind.

b ) to move quickly onto an object or surface, touching it with force:

She threw her glass across the room and it hit the wall.

hit your head/knee/arm etc. on/against something: It's thought he may have fallen and hit his head on the curb.

hit the ground/floor (=fall to the ground): Try to roll as you hit the ground.

c ) to deliberately move an object so that it touches another object with force:

hit something with something: The youngest child was hitting the table with a toy hammer.

d ) if something such as a bullet or bomb hits something or someone, it lands on them:

She was hit by a stray bullet.

According to first reports, some bombs have hit schools and hospitals.

hit the target/bullseye: None of the missiles hit their target.

─ opposite MISS

e ) to use a something such as a BAT to make a ball move:

He hit the ball into the outfield.

2. ) transitive often passive to have a bad effect on someone or something:

be hard/badly hit: Local businesses have been hard hit by the recession.

The people this legislation will hit the hardest are the poor.

a ) intransitive or transitive to suddenly start to affect someone or something:

Many houses have been without water since the storm hit.

The craze hit California in 1951.

He gasped as the pain hit him.

3. ) transitive if an idea or the truth hits you, you suddenly realize it: STRIKE:

It suddenly hit her that she would never see him again.

4. ) transitive SPOKEN to reach a place, especially on your way to somewhere else:

When you hit the traffic lights, turn left.

a ) to reach a particular state:

a singer who hit the big time (=became very successful) in 1998

b ) to reach a difficult stage when you are trying to do something:

hit a problem/bad patch: We hit a problem when we tried to print the document.

c ) to reach a particular amount, level, or age:

She hits forty this year and we're planning a big party.

5. ) transitive SPOKEN to press something such as a switch on a machine, vehicle, or computer in order to make it do something:

She hit the brakes too late and the car skidded.

Just hit the Save button every few minutes.

6. ) transitive to achieve a particular score when you hit the ball in a sport such as baseball:

Did anyone hit a home run?

hit the campaign/title etc. trail MAINLY JOURNALISM

to start an effort to win an election/competition etc.

hit the dirt INFORMAL

to fall to the ground suddenly

hit the ground running

to be successful from the start of an activity

hit it off SPOKEN

if two people hit it off when they meet for the first time, they like each other: GET ON:

hit it off with: I didn't really hit it off with his sister.

hit the nail on the head

to say something that is exactly right or very true

hit the road INFORMAL

to leave or start a trip

hit the roof/ceiling SPOKEN

to become very angry

hit the sack/hay INFORMAL

to go to bed for the night

hit the town/street etc MAINLY JOURNALISM

1. ) to be available to buy for the first time:

a new craze product that will soon hit the stores

2. ) to go to a town, area, etc., usually so that you can go shopping

not know what hit you SPOKEN

to feel extremely shocked or surprised

=> BOTTLE1, HOME 2, SPOT1

,hit `back phrasal verb

1. ) intransitive to criticize someone who has criticized you

2. ) intransitive or transitive to deliberately hurt someone who has hurt you

3. ) intransitive MAINLY JOURNALISM to start to play well against an opponent who was winning:

The Bruins hit back with two more goals.

`hit for phrasal verb transitive

hit someone for something if someone is hit for an amount of money, they have to pay that amount:

Some companies would be hit for millions of dollars in fines.

`hit on phrasal verb transitive

1. ) hit on or hit upon hit on something to suddenly have an idea: COME UP WITH:

They hit on the idea of celebrating the occasion with a concert.

2. ) hit on or hit upon hit on something to discover something by chance:

She was scared he might hit on the truth.

3. ) hit on someone INFORMAL to try to start a conversation with someone because you are sexually attracted to them

,hit `out phrasal verb intransitive

1. ) to say or do something to hurt someone: LASH OUT:

hit out at: I was hurt, so I hit out at both of them.

2. ) to criticize someone or something very strongly: ATTACK:

hit out at/against: Ms. Wallis hit out at the court's decision.

3. ) to try to hit someone or something in an uncontrolled way: LASH OUT:

hit out at: The little boy screamed and hit out at her.

,hit `up phrasal verb AMERICAN INFORMAL

to ask someone for something, especially money:

hit up for: You know he'll try to hit us up for cash.

`hit upon phrasal verb transitive hit upon something

1. ) same as HIT ON 1:

She hit upon a clever scheme.

2. ) same as HIT ON 2:

I think he's hit upon the crucial question.

`hit with phrasal verb transitive hit someone with something

1. ) to make someone do something or experience something that is unpleasant:

They may decide to hit him with a lawsuit.

2. ) to tell someone something that is unpleasant or surprising:

Come on, hit me with it, what happened?

hit

hit 2 [ hıt ] noun count **

▸ 1 something successful/popular

▸ 2 when someone/something is hit

▸ 3 in computing

▸ 4 when player hits ball

▸ 5 a murder

▸ 6 use/effect of drug

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) something or someone that people like very much:

be/prove a hit: The car proved an instant hit in the U.S.

hit with: The clown was a huge hit with the children.

make a hit with someone: He is already a big hit with the locals.

a ) a movie, play, or show that is very successful and popular:

The movie was a massive hit at the box office.

hit movie/show

smash hit (=extremely successful): His first TV series was a smash hit.

─ opposite FLOP

b ) a song that sells a very large number of copies:

They played a lot of old hits from the 70s and 80s.

someone's greatest hits (=their most successful songs): an album of Madonna's greatest hits

hit single/album/record: They only ever had one hit single.

2. ) an occasion when someone or something touches another person or thing with a lot of force

a ) an occasion when something such as a bomb or bullet lands on something, causing damage:

direct hit: The house she lived in during the war received a direct hit.

3. ) a visit by someone to a particular SITE on the Internet:

Their Web site gets a couple of hundred hits a day.

a ) a piece of information that a computer program finds for you:

I searched for the name Mundy and got over 50 hits.

4. ) an occasion when a player hits the ball in a game

5. ) INFORMAL a murder that a criminal does for someone else, usually for money

6. ) INFORMAL an occasion when someone uses an illegal drug

a ) the effect that an illegal drug has on someone who uses it

take a hit INFORMAL

1. ) to be criticized

2. ) to suffer damage or loss:

Clothing took the biggest hit, with sales down by 35%.