hit
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to move your hand or an object quickly to touch someone or something with force.
v.to strike a person or object with a blow or projectile. Transitive, though it can be used intransitively to describe the act of impact.
Simple“He accidentally hit the ball through the neighbor's window.”
In context“The boxer managed to hit his opponent with a swift left hook before the round ended.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to reach a specific number, level, or place.
v.to reach or attain a specific point, level, or threshold.
Simple“The temperature is expected to hit thirty degrees this afternoon.”
In context“The company's stock price hit an all-time high following the announcement of the merger.”
UsageOften used with numbers or milestones.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to have a bad effect on someone or something.
v.to affect someone or something in a harmful or distressing way.
Simple“The small town was hit hard by the closing of the factory.”
In context“Rural communities were disproportionately hit by the sudden increase in fuel taxes.”
UsageUsually used in the passive voice to describe victims of events.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to go to or visit a place, often quickly or for a short time.
v.to arrive at or visit a location. Informal in register.
Simple“Let's hit the shops before they close for the evening.”
In context“After a long day of meetings, the team decided to hit the hotel bar for a quick drink.”
Teacher's tipCommon in phrases like 'hit the gym' or 'hit the road'.
- 05 A2 Elementary
n.something that is very popular and successful, like a song or a movie.
n.a person or thing that is a great success, particularly in entertainment or commerce.
Simple“The band's new album became a huge hit within a week.”
In context“The musical proved to be an unexpected hit, selling out every performance during its initial three-month run.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a single result that appears when you search for something on a computer.
n.an instance of a match found in a computer search or a request for a file from a web server.
Simple“My search for the old book returned over a thousand hits.”
In context“The website's server struggled to handle the sudden surge of hits following the viral social media post.”
Teacher's tipIn modern web analytics, 'views' or 'visits' is often preferred over 'hits'.
- 08 C1 Advanced
n.a planned murder, usually done for money or by a criminal group.
n.a premeditated murder carried out by a professional killer.
Simple“The police believe the killing was a professional hit.”
In context“The informant claimed that the gang leader had ordered a hit on a rival member.”
UsageOften used with the verb 'ordered' or 'carried out'.
Teacher's tipThis is a very specific criminal term; learners should be aware of its dark context.
Synonyms - 09 B1 Intermediate
adj.describing something that is very popular.
adj.highly successful or popular; typically used as an attributive adjective.
Simple“She is the star of a hit TV show about doctors.”
In context“The studio is already planning a sequel to their hit summer blockbuster.”
UsageAlmost always placed before the noun.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage hit hard · hit back · hit a record
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd-der. Proto-Indo-European *kh₂id-néh₂-ti Proto-Germanic *hittijaną Old Norse hittader. Old English hyttan Middle English hitten English hit Inherited from Middle English hitten (“to hit, strike, make contact with”), from Old English hittan (“to meet with, come upon, fall in with”), from Old Norse hitta (“to strike, meet”), from Proto-Germanic hittijaną (“to come upon, find”), from Proto-Indo-European kh₂eyd- (“to fall; fall upon; hit; cut; hew”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian hitte (“to meet”), Dutch hitten (“to hit, encounter”), Danish hitte (“to find”), Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish hitta (“to meet”), Norwegian Nynorsk hitta, hitte (“to meet; to find”), Latin caedō (“to kill”), Albanian qit (“to hit, throw, pull out, release”). Probably also related to Dutch hei (“mallet”), German Heie (“wooden hammer, mallet”).
From Middle English hit (“it”), from Old English hit (“it”), from Proto-Germanic hit (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱe-, *ḱey- (“this, here”). Cognate with Dutch het (“it”). More at it; also note 'it.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.