hit
hit
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "hit" is /hɪt/.
First and only syllable:
/h/ - voiceless glottal fricative
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: hit
Plural: hits
Verb:
Base form: hit
Third-person singular present: hits
Present participle: hitting
Past tense: hit
Past participle: hit
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1: To strike something or someone with a forceful blow or impact.
Synonyms: strike, punch, thump, smack, bash, connect with
Antonyms: miss, avoid, parry
Example: The baseball player hit the ball out of the park.
Definition 2: To come into sudden or forceful contact with something.
Synonyms: collide with, run into, crash into, strike
Antonyms: avoid, miss
Example: The car hit a patch of ice and spun out.
Definition 3: To reach a particular point, level, or amount.
Synonyms: reach, attain, achieve, arrive at
Antonyms: fall short of, miss
Example: The temperature hit 30 degrees Celsius today.
Definition 4: To affect someone strongly or suddenly, often emotionally or mentally.
Synonyms: impact, affect, strike, move, touch
Antonyms: leave unaffected, bore
Example: The news of her passing really hit me hard.
Definition 5: To make a successful shot, particularly in sports like basketball or golf.
Synonyms: score, sink, make, shoot
Antonyms: miss
Example: He hit a perfect three-pointer at the buzzer.
Noun
Definition 1: A successful and popular song, movie, or other commercial product.
Synonyms: success, sensation, blockbuster, smash, triumph
Antonyms: flop, failure, dud, miss
Example: Her new song is a real hit.
Definition 2: An instance of striking or being struck.
Synonyms: blow, strike, punch, thump, impact
Antonyms: miss, deflection
Example: He took a direct hit to the head.
Definition 3: A successful search result or piece of information found, especially on the internet.
Synonyms: match, result, finding
Antonyms: miss, no result
Example: The search engine returned thousands of hits for my query.
Definition 4: A planned murder, typically carried out by a professional killer.
Synonyms: assassination, contract killing, murder
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for this specific context)
Example: The mob boss ordered a hit on his rival.
Adjective
Definition 1 (colloquial): Very popular or successful (often used in phrases like "a hit show").
Synonyms: popular, successful, trending, in vogue
Antonyms: unpopular, unsuccessful, failing, outmoded
Example: That new restaurant is a real hit with the locals.
Examples of Use
Books:
"He closed his eyes and tried to remember. The memories were a hit-or-miss affair, fragmented and unreliable." (From The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, published January 2008)
"The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. This was their big hit." (From Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, published August 1996)
Newspapers:
"The central bank's decision to raise interest rates is expected to hit consumer spending." (Financial Times, May 2025)
"Local authorities reported that the storm delivered a direct hit to coastal communities." (The Guardian, September 2024)
Online Publications:
"Why is this indie game a massive hit on Steam?" (PC Gamer, April 2025)
"Researchers found that the new drug was a big hit in clinical trials, showing promising results." (Nature.com, July 2024)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Music: "Oops!... I Did It Again" by Britney Spears contains the lyric, "I played with your heart, got lost in the game / Oh baby, baby, oops!... You think I'm in love / That I'm sent from above / I'm not that innocent." This exemplifies "hit" as a popular song. (Released May 2000)
Film: In the movie Pulp Fiction, there are discussions about a "contract hit." (Released October 1994)
Television: "Netflix's new drama series is proving to be a critical and commercial hit." (Variety.com, January 2025)
Video Games: "Landing a perfect headshot in this game is a satisfying hit." (IGN review of Call of Duty, November 2024)
General Public Discourse:
"The cost of living has really hit our family budget hard this year." (Common conversation, ongoing)
"Did you see that amazing hit the batter made in the baseball game last night?" (Sports conversation, ongoing)
"I need to hit the books tonight if I want to pass this exam." (Student conversation, ongoing)
"That joke was a real hit with the audience." (Casual conversation, ongoing)
10 Quotes Using Hit
"It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." (Rocky Balboa, Rocky Balboa, 2006)
"You can't hit what you can't see." (Muhammad Ali)
"If you can't hit it, you can't hit it." (Yogi Berra)
"You only hit what you aim at. Therefore, you might as well aim high." (Henry David Thoreau)
"A boxer's most important asset is his heart, not how hard he can hit." (George Foreman)
"The way to hit a golf ball is to swing the club head through the ball." (Ben Hogan)
"When you hit a certain age, you start to realize that you're not going to live forever." (Clint Eastwood)
"Sometimes you hit a home run, sometimes you strike out." (Babe Ruth)
"When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up."
"You can't hit a home run every time."
Etymology
The word "hit" has a long history, tracing its roots back to the very old Germanic languages.
Think of it this way:
It comes from a much older word in Old English, which was "hyttan." This "hyttan" already meant to "strike" or "meet with," often in the sense of finding something. So, even then, it had the idea of making contact or encountering something.
Going even further back, the Old English "hyttan" is related to similar words in other old Germanic languages. For example, there's a word in Old Norse (the language of the Vikings) called "hitta," which meant "to find" or "to meet with." This connection suggests that the idea of "hitting" as in "making contact with" or "encountering" was central to its earliest meanings.
So, the very first known uses and meanings of "hit" (or its ancestors) were primarily about making physical contact or encountering something, often with a sense of striking or finding. Over time, this core meaning expanded to cover all the ways we use "hit" today, from striking a ball to a song being a "hit."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hit
Hit the road: To leave a place; to begin a journey.
Hit the sack/hay: To go to bed.
Hit the books: To study hard.
Hit the nail on the head: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem; to be precisely correct.
Hit the jackpot: To achieve a great success or to win a large prize.
Hit it off: To get along well with someone immediately.
Hit or miss: Done or occurring at random; sometimes successful, sometimes not.
Hit home: To have a strong and direct effect on someone's feelings or understanding.
Hit a nerve/raw nerve: To say or do something that makes someone feel angry, upset, or embarrassed because it relates to a sensitive issue.
Hit the wall: To reach a point of exhaustion or an insurmountable obstacle.
Hit the ground running: To start a new activity or job with great energy and enthusiasm.
Hit a snag: To encounter an unexpected problem or difficulty.
Hit the spot: To be exactly what is needed or wanted (often used for food or drink).
Hit below the belt: To act unfairly or cruelly; to make an unfair attack.
Hit the big time: To become very successful and famous.
Hit the mark: To achieve the desired result or goal.
Hit pay dirt: To find something valuable or successful.
Hit the town: To go out and enjoy oneself, often by visiting various places in a city.
Hit the brakes: To slow down or stop suddenly.
Hit hard: To affect someone or something severely.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hit from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
