hit

hitverb

To hit is for one thing to meet another suddenly and with force, or to have a sudden strong effect on someone.

1. striketouch someone or something quickly and with force, using your hand or an object

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv]

   • He hit the ball over the fence. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Don't hit your sister! V + obj
   • She hit him on the arm. V + obj + prep + obj
   • I hit the nail with a hammer. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun hit a ball, hit someone in the face, hit a nail

   verb + adverb hit hard

   verb + preposition hit someone with something, hit someone on the head

   Synonyms strike

   Compare beat (beat means hit many times)

2. crash intomove against something with force, usually by accident

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • The car skidded and hit a tree. V + obj
   • I hit my head on the door. V + obj + prep + obj
   • The ball hit the window and broke it. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun hit a tree, hit a wall, hit the ground

   verb + preposition hit your head on something

   noun + verb a car hits, a wave hits

   Synonyms strike

   Compare crash

3. affect badlyhave a sudden bad effect on someone or something

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • The town was badly hit by the storm. V + obj (passive)
   • Rising prices have hit poor families hardest. V + obj
   • The news of his death hit her hard. V + obj

   Collocations

   phrase be badly hit, be hit hard, hit someone hard

   noun + verb a storm hits, a crisis hits

   Synonyms affect

4. reachreach a particular level, amount, or point

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Prices hit a new high this month. V + obj
   • We hit heavy traffic on the way home. V + obj
   • The team finally hit its sales target. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun hit a target, hit a record high, hit a high, hit traffic

   Synonyms reach

5. realizesuddenly become clear to someone

   The subject is an idea, a fact, or it followed by a that-clause, and the object is the person who realizes it.

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + that-clause [V + obj + that]

   • It suddenly hit me that I had left my keys at home. V + obj + that
   • The truth didn't hit her until later. V + obj
   • When the idea hit me, I wrote it down. V + obj

   Collocations

   adverb + verb suddenly hit

   phrase it hit me that

See also hit back