hit

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hit / hit/ • v. (hit·ting ; past hit ) [tr.] 1. bring one's hand or a tool or weapon into contact with (someone or something) quickly and forcefully: the woman hit the mugger with her umbrella | [intr.] use your words, but do not hit the police hit out with billy clubs. ∎  accidentally strike (part of one's body) against something, often causing injury: she fainted and hit her head on the metal bedstead. ∎  (of a moving object or body) come into contact with (someone or something stationary) quickly and forcefully: a car hit the barrier. ∎ inf. touch or press (part of a machine or other device) in order to work it: he picked up the phone and hit several buttons. 2. cause harm or distress to: the area has been badly hit by business closures. ∎  [intr.] (hit out) make a strongly worded criticism or attack: he hit out at suppliers for hyping their products. ∎  (of a disaster) occur in and cause damage to (an area) suddenly: the country was hit by a major earthquake. ∎ inf. attack and rob or kill: if they're cops, maybe it's not a good idea to have them hit. ∎ inf. be affected by (an unfortunate and unexpected circumstance or event): the opening of the town center hit a snag. 3. (of a missile or a person aiming one) strike (a target): the sniper fired and hit a third man. ∎ inf. reach (a particular level, point, or figure): his career hit rock bottom. ∎  arrive at (a place): it was still night when we hit the outskirts of Chicago. ∎ inf. go to (a place): we hit a diner for coffee and doughnuts. ∎  be suddenly and vividly realized by: [tr.] it hit her that I wanted to settle down here. ∎  [intr.] inf. (of a piece of music, film, or play) be successful: actors are promised a pay increase if a show hits. ∎  [intr.] take effect: we sat waiting for the caffeine to hit. ∎ inf. give (someone) a dose of a drug or an alcoholic drink. ∎ inf. (of a product) become available and make an impact on: the latest board game to hit the market. ∎ inf. used to express the idea that someone is taking up a pursuit or taking it seriously: more and more teenagers are hitting the books. ∎  (hit someone for/up for) inf. ask someone for: she was waiting for the right moment to hit her mother for some cash. 4. propel (a ball) with a bat, racket, stick, etc., to score or attempt to score runs or points in a game. ∎  score (runs or points) in this way: he had hit 25 home runs. ∎  Baseball [intr.] (of a batter) make a base hit. • n. 1. an instance of striking or being struck: few structures can withstand a hit from a speeding car. ∎  a verbal attack: he could not resist a hit at his friend's religiosity. ∎ inf. a murder, typically one planned and carried out by a criminal organization. ∎  Baseball short for base hit. 2. an instance of striking the target aimed at: one of the bombers had scored a direct hit. ∎  a successful venture, esp. in entertainment: he was the director of many big hits | [as adj.] a hit comedy. ∎  a successful pop record or song. ∎ inf. a successful and popular person or thing: handsome, smiling, and smart, he was an immediate hit. ∎  Comput. an instance of identifying an item of data that matches the requirements of a search. ∎  an instance of a particular Web site being accessed by a user: the site gets an average 350,000 hits per day. 3. inf. a dose of a psychoactive drug. PHRASES: hit-and-miss done or occurring at random: picking a remedy can be a bit hit-and-miss. hit someone below the belt Boxing give one's opponent an illegal low blow. ∎  behave unfairly, esp. so as to gain an unfair advantage. hit the bottle see bottle. hit the ground running inf. start something and proceed at a fast pace with enthusiasm. hit the haysee hay¹ . hit home see home. hit it off inf. be naturally friendly or well suited. hit the jackpot see jackpot. hit the mark be successful in an attempt or accurate in a guess. hit the nail on the head find exactly the right answer. hit-or-miss / ˈˌhid ôr ˈmis/ as likely to be unsuccessful as successful: her work can be hit-or-miss. hit the right note see note. hit the road (or trail) inf. set out on a journey. hit the roof see roof. hit the sack see sack¹ . hit the spot see spot. make a hit be successful or popular: you made a big hit with her.PHRASAL VERBS: hit on (or upon) 1. discover or think of, esp. by chance: she hit on a novel idea for fund-raising. 2. inf. make sexual advances toward. hit up attempt to get something, typically money, from (someone): he hit up some family members.DERIVATIVES: hit·ter n.

hit The act of reading a WEB PAGE using a browser. Sometimes it is used to describe a visit to a whole WEB SITE. The hits that occur when visitors enter a Web site can be found in a WEB LOG FILE. Information about hits is used by WEBMASTERS to optimize a Web site and by ecommerce companies to gauge the effectiveness of their Web marketing. See also VISIT and CLICKSTREAM.

hit hit someone for six affect someone very severely (with allusion to a forceful hit that scores six runs in cricket).
hit the ground running proceed at a fast pace from the start with enthusiasm and dynamism. Recorded from the late 20th century, and probably referring to military personnel disembarking rapidly from a ship or helicopter.

hit pt., pp. hit light upon XI; strike XIII. Late OE. (ġe)hittan — ON. hitta light upon, meet with, of unkn. orig.
Hence sb. XVI.

hit •acquit, admit, backlit, bedsit, befit, bit, Brit, Britt, chit, commit, demit, dit, emit, fit, flit, frit, git, grit, hit, intermit, it, kit, knit, legit, lickety-split, lit, manumit, mishit, mitt, nit, omit, outsit, outwit, permit, pit, Pitt, pretermit, quit, remit, retrofit, shit, sit, skit, slit, snit, spit, split, sprit, squit, submit, tit, transmit, twit, whit, wit, writ, zit •albeit, howbeit •poet •bluet, cruet, intuit, suet, Yuit •Inuit • floruit • Jesuit •Babbitt, cohabit, habit, rabbet, rabbit •ambit, gambit •jackrabbit • barbet • Nesbit • rarebit •adhibit, exhibit, gibbet, inhibit, prohibit •titbit (US tidbit) • flibbertigibbet •Cobbett, gobbet, hobbit, obit, probit •orbit • Tobit •cubit, two-bit •hatchet, latchet, ratchet •Pritchett •crotchet, rochet