hit
gb/hˈɪt/ us/hˈɪt/
A2
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Strike something or someone
To touch something or someone with force.
Usage pattern:
to hit [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hit' with 'beat'; 'beat' often means to win against someone, not just to make contact.
Synonyms
strike (Slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech; can also mean to attack suddenly.)
Antonyms
miss (Means to fail to make contact with the intended target.)
Collocations
hit hard
|hit the ball
|hit the target
|hit a wall
Themes
sports
|violence
|daily life
|daily_life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He hit the punching bag with all his strength.
- The car hit a tree after skidding on ice.
- She accidentally hit her brother with the toy.
Learner examples
- I hit the ball with the bat.
- He hit the wall by mistake.
- The boy hit his hand on the table.
Verb
B1
action
2
Damage by striking
To hurt or damage someone or something by touching it hard.
Usage pattern:
to hit [someone/something] and [cause damage]
Synonyms
injure (Focuses on causing harm to a person or animal rather than the act of striking itself.)
Antonyms
protect (Means to keep safe from harm or damage.)
Collocations
hit and injure
|hit and damage
|hit and kill
Themes
violence
|accidents
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The storm hit the coastal town hard, destroying several homes.
- He hit his head on the doorframe and needed stitches.
- The scandal hit the company's reputation badly.
Learner examples
- The ball hit my leg and it hurt.
- The car hit a dog on the road.
- The rock hit the window and broke it.
Verb
B1
action
3
Reach a level or target
To get to a certain number, level, or goal.
Usage pattern:
to hit [a number/level/goal]
Synonyms
reach (Neutral term for arriving at a point; lacks the sense of suddenness or precision that 'hit' can imply.)
Antonyms
fall short (Means to fail to reach a target or goal.)
Collocations
hit a record
|hit a goal
|hit a target
Themes
business
|sports
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company's sales hit a new high last quarter.
- She finally hit her fitness goal of running 5 kilometers.
- Temperatures are expected to hit 40 degrees tomorrow.
Learner examples
- I hit my goal of reading 10 books.
- The price hit $100 last week.
- We hit our target in the game.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Successful performance or product
A song, film, or show that many people like and buy.
Synonyms
success (Broader term for achieving positive results; not limited to entertainment.)
Antonyms
flop (A complete failure, especially in entertainment.)
Collocations
big hit
|smash hit
|box-office hit
Themes
entertainment
|business
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her new song is a big hit on the radio.
- The movie became an international hit overnight.
- That video game was the surprise hit of the year.
Learner examples
- The song is a big hit.
- That film was a hit in my country.
- Her book is a hit with children.
Verb
A2
action
5
Press a button or key
To press a button or key quickly.
Usage pattern:
to hit [a button/key/switch]
Synonyms
press (More neutral and common in technical contexts; lacks the informal punch of 'hit'.)
Collocations
hit enter
|hit the brakes
|hit send
Themes
technology
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Hit 'Enter' to submit your answer.
- He hit the brakes when he saw the red light.
- Hit 'Send' when your email is ready.
Learner examples
- Hit the button to start.
- Please hit 'Enter' now.
- He hits the brakes quickly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hit
IPA
GB/hˈɪt/
US/hˈɪt/
Syllables & stress
hit (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hit
- Plural: hits
Verb
- Base: hit
- 3rd Person Singular: hits
- Present Participle: hitting
- Past: hit
- Past Participle: hit
Word family
Forms
hits
noun
hitting
verb
Related words
hitter
noun
Advanced or less common
mishit
verb
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: hitting Verb
- Irregular past: hit Verb
- Irregular past participle: hit Verb
Expressions
hit it off
1/hˈɪt ˈɪt ˈɔf/
idiom
informal
Get along well immediately
To like each other and become friends quickly when you first meet someone.
Examples
- They met at a party and really hit it off.
- I knew you'd hit it off with my sister as soon as you met.
hit the jackpot
5/hˈɪt ðə d͡ʒˈækpˌɑt/
idiom
informal
Have great unexpected success
To win or get something very good, often by luck.
Examples
- She really hit the jackpot with that new job.
- They hit the jackpot when they found that rare painting at a yard sale.
hit home
4/hˈɪt hˈoʊm/
idiom
Affect deeply because it's true/relevant
To make you feel something strongly because it is true about your own life.
Examples
- His words hit home when I saw the damage for myself.
- His words about hard work really hit home for me.
- The reality of losing her job hit home last night.
- The news report about climate change hit home when I saw the flooding in my town.
hit the road
2/hˈɪt ðə ɹˈoʊd/
idiom
informal
Leave and start traveling
To leave somewhere and begin going to another place.
Examples
- It's getting late—we should hit the road.
- They packed their bags and hit the road before sunrise.
hit the road
6/hˈɪt ðə ɹˈoʊd/
idiom
informal
Start traveling or leave
To start going somewhere or leave a place.
Examples
- It's getting late; we should hit the road.
- After breakfast, they hit the road toward the mountains.
hit the sack
3/hˈɪt ðə sˈæk/
idiom
informal
Go to bed to sleep
To go to bed to sleep.
Examples
- I'm tired—time to hit the sack.
- I'm really tired, so I'm going to hit the sack.
- She usually hits the sack around 10 p.m.
- We have to get up early tomorrow; let's hit the sack.
- After the long flight, she just wanted to hit the sack.