hit

The word "hit" is similar to the words punch, strike, slap, bang, push, and beat, but this is a very basic and common word in English, so the examples below are useful in understanding when or how to use it.

In the first set of examples, the word "hit" is a verb. It’s an irregular verb:

examples

A hockey puck hit him on the head. Someone hit the puck and the puck hit his head. He got hit on the head by a hockey puck.
A baseball player tries to hit a baseball with a bat.
A boxer hits his opponent with boxing gloves.
A tennis player hits a tennis ball with a tennis racquet.
If you are outside during a thunderstorm, you could get hit by lightning.
People who drive cars might hit other cars as they are driving.
A drummer hits the drums with drumsticks.
A musician tries to hit the right notes when playing an instrument or singing.
A pianist hits the keys of the piano when playing songs.
A large ship might hit an iceberg when traveling on the ocean.
A person who wants to ride an elevator hits a button to call an elevator or arrive at a certain floor. When you hit a button, you push the button.

The word "hit" is also commonly used as a noun:

A baseball player tries to get a hit in order to get on base and score runs.
Professional musicians hope to become popular by writing hit songs. He has a hit.
Hit movies feature movie stars that attract audiences.
When you go fishing, you might feel a hit on your line which indicates a fish has taken your bait.
People with websites hope to get a lot of hits from people who visit their websites. This website gets a lot of hits every day.

There are many popular expressions that include the word "hit."

• When a man likes a woman, he hits on her to get her attention. (hit on = try to attract)
• A woman can hit on a man in the same way.
• When you get an idea in your head, it hits you.
• When you find a solution to a problem, you hit on it.
• A person who gets mad, hits the roof.
• When you tell a person to leave, say "Hit the road." (hit the road = get away from here)
• A person who travels somewhere also hits the road. (hit the road = travel)
• A negative reaction to medicine can hit you the wrong way.
• A positive reaction to food or drink hits the spot. That really hit the spot. (hit the spot = provide satisfaction)

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August 14, 2019