hit

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++hit1 /hɪt/ ●●● S1 W2 verb (past tense and past participle hit, present participle hitting)  1  touch SB/STH hard 使劲触碰某人/某物 [transitive]HIT to touch someone or something quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc 打，击 He raised the hammer and hit the bell. 他举起钟锤敲钟。hit somebody/something with something The robbers hit him over the head with a baseball bat. 劫匪用棒球棒击打他的头部。2  crash into STH 撞上某物 [transitive]HIT/BUMP INTO to move into something or someone quickly and with force 撞击，碰撞 The tanks exploded as the plane hit the ground. 飞机坠地时油箱发生爆炸。 He was hit by a car. 他被汽车撞了。3  hurt yourself 伤到自己 [transitive]HIT/BUMP INTO to move a part of your body quickly against something accidentally, causing pain 撞疼 SYN bang The ceiling’s low, so be careful you don’t hit your head. 天花板很低，小心别撞头。hit something on/against something She slipped and hit her head on the sidewalk. 她滑了一跤，头撞在人行道上。4  sport 体育运动 [transitive] a) HITif you hit a ball or other object, you make it move forward quickly by hitting it with a bat, stick etc 〔用球拍、球棒等〕击打〔球等〕 SYN strike Hit the ball as hard as you can. 用最大的力气击球。 b) SCOREto get points by hitting a ball in a game such as baseball or cricket 击球〔得分〕 Last year, Griffey hit 49 home runs. 去年格里菲击出了49个本垒打。5  press 按 [transitive] informalPRESS to press a part in a machine, car, etc to make it work 按，摁 Maria hit the brakes just in time. 玛丽亚及时踩了车。6  attack 攻击 [transitive] to attack something or wound someone with a bomb, bullet etc 〔用枪炮等〕攻击，袭击 Our ship was badly hit and sank within minutes. 我们的船遭到重创后，没过几分钟便沉没了。 A second shot hit her in the back. 第二枪击中了她的背部。 The bomb failed to hit its target. 炸弹没有命中目标。7  affect badly 严重影响 [intransitive, transitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE if something bad hits a place or a person, it suddenly happens and affects people badly 打击，侵袭 The village has been hit by a devastating drought. 那个村庄遭受了严重的干旱。 Hurricane Louis is expected to hit at the weekend. 飓风“路易斯”预计本周末来袭。be badly/severely/hard hit The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence. 该公司因为消费者信心下滑遭受了沉重的打击。 The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession. 该国的南部受经济衰退的冲击最为严重。8  have problems 遇到问题 [transitive]PROBLEM to experience trouble, problems etc 碰到，遇到〔困难、问题等〕hit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc My father hit a bad patch, and had to sell the house. 我父亲遇到了大麻烦，只得把房子卖掉。9  REACHreach a level/number 达到某一水平/数量 [transitive] to reach a particular level or number 达到〔某一水平或数量〕 Sales have hit the 1 million mark. 销售额达到100万大关。hit a peak/an all-time high etc Earnings hit a peak in the early 1980s. 20世纪80年代初利润达到最高水平。hit rock-bottom/an all-time low etc Oil prices have hit rock-bottom. 油价已降到最低点。10  realize 意识到 [transitive]REALIZE if a fact hits you, you suddenly realize its importance and feel surprised or shocked 使〔某人〕突然意识到 It’s impossible to pinpoint a moment when it hit me that I was ‘a success’. 无法准确说出是在哪一刻我突然意识到自己是个“成功人士”。 He was gone before they knew what had hit them (=realized what had happened). 他们还没意识到发生了什么，他就已经走了。11  smell/sight etc 气味/景象等 [transitive] if a smell or sight hits you, you suddenly smell or see it 〔突然〕被闻到；被看到 The smell of stale smoke hit him as he entered. 他进去的时候一股难闻的烟味扑鼻而来。12  arrive 到达 [transitive] informalARRIVE to arrive at a place 到达〔某地〕 They hit the main road two kilometres further on. 他们往前走了两公里后到了大路上。hit town American English I’ll look for work as soon as I hit town. 我一到镇上就会去找工作。13. hit the road/trail informalSTART DOING something to begin a journey 出发，动身14  hit the shops/streets if a product hits the shops, it becomes available to buy 〔产品〕上市 I managed to get a copy of the book before it hit the shops. 那本书上市前我设法弄到了一本。15  hit the headlines to be reported widely on television, in newspapers etc 成为头条新闻 The couple hit the headlines last year when their relationship broke down. 这对夫妻去年因为关系破裂而上了报纸头条。16  hit the bottle informalDRUNK to start drinking too much alcohol regularly 开始酗酒 After his marriage failed, he hit the bottle big time. 他婚姻失败后便开始酗酒。17  hit the dirt/the deck informalFALL to fall to the ground in order to avoid something dangerous 〔为躲避危险之物而〕扑倒在地 My first instinct was to hit the dirt. 我的第一反应就是扑倒在地上。18  hit a (brick) wall informal to suddenly not be able to make any progress 突然无法取得进步 I felt I’d hit a wall with my playing. 我觉得我的演奏技巧突然停滞不前。19  hit the buffers/skids informal if a plan, project etc hits the buffers, it fails 〔计划、项目等〕失败 Croft’s comeback hit the skids yesterday when she lost in the quarter-finals. 昨天克罗夫特在四分之一决赛中落败，她东山再起的计划落空了。20. hit somebody when they are down informal to upset or harm someone when they are already defeated 乘人之危打击某人，对某人落井下石21  hit somebody where it hurts informal to do something that you know will upset someone in the most damaging way 攻击某人的要害，打某人的痛处 Hit your husband where it hurts – in his wallet! 要击中你丈夫的要害——瞄准他的钱包！22  hit it off (with somebody) informalLIKE somebody OR something if two people hit it off, they like each other as soon as they meet （与某人）一见如故，合得来 I knew you’d hit it off with Mike. 我就知道你与迈克会一见如故的。23  hit the big time  (also hit it big American English) informalFAMOUS to suddenly become very famous, successful, and rich 突然成名；突然发迹 The 25-year-old painter hopes to hit it big in New York. 那位25岁的画家希望能在纽约一举成名。24  hit the ground running SUCCESSFULto start doing something successfully without any delay 立刻着手顺利地做某事 Law graduates are expected to hit the ground running. 人们期望法律系学生一毕业就能过得顺风顺水。25  hit the jackpot a) WINto win a lot of money 赢得大笔金钱，中头彩 b) SUCCEED IN DOING somethingto have a big success 大获成功 Owens hit the jackpot in his first professional game with the Cowboys. 欧文斯在加盟牛仔队后的第一场职业赛中便大获成功。26  hit the nail on the head CORRECT informal used to say that what someone has said is exactly right 正中要害，一针见血，一语中的 You’ve hit the nail on the head there, David. 你说到点子上了，戴维。27  hit home a) if a remark, criticism etc about you hits home, you realize that it is true 〔评论、批评等〕使人豁然醒悟 Graham didn’t reply, but she could see her words had hit home. 格雷厄姆没有回答，但她能看出自己的话说到点子上了。 b) if a blow or kick hits home, it hits the thing it is aimed at 击中目标28. hit the spot informal to have exactly the good effect that you wanted, especially when you are hungry or thirsty 恰到好处；切合需要；让人吃饱喝足29  hit the roof/ceiling informalANGRY to be very angry 大发雷霆，暴跳如雷 Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof. 拉涅里回来看到一片狼藉的情景便大发雷霆。30. hit the sack  (also hit the hay American English) informalSLEEP to go to bed 上床睡觉 → the shit hits the fan at shit2(17), → hit/strike paydirt at paydirt THESAURUSto hit someone 打某人hit to hit someone quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc 打，击 〔用手、棍棒等〕打，击He hit him hard in the stomach. 他狠狠地打他的肚子。I don’t like to see people hitting a dog. 我不喜欢看到别人打狗。beat to hit someone deliberately many times, especially very hard 〔尤指使劲地多次故意〕打，揍The girl had been beaten to death. 女孩被殴打致死。He was beating the donkey with a stick. 他在用棍子打驴。strike written to hit someone with your hand or a weapon. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English 〔用手、武器〕打，击，撞〔strike比hit更正式，主要用于书面英语中〕Her husband struck her twice across the face. 她的丈夫打了她两个耳光。Police say that the man had been struck on the head. 警方说该男子头部遭击打。punch to hit someone hard with your closed hand, especially in a fight 〔尤指在打斗中〕用拳猛击I punched him on the nose. 我一拳打在他鼻子上。She was screaming and punching him with her fists. 她一边尖叫,一边用拳头打他。thump /θʌmp/ informal to punch someone very hard 用拳捶击[重击]Sometimes I just want to thump him. 有时候我真想狠狠地揍他。beat somebody up to hurt someone badly in a violent attack, by hitting them many times 〔多次〕痛打[毒打]某人If I tell the police, they'll beat me up. 要是我告诉警察，他们会把我毒打一顿。He had been beaten up and tortured with lighted cigarettes. 他被毒打，并遭受用香烟烫的酷刑。slap to hit someone with your open hand, especially because you are angry with them 〔尤因生气〕用巴掌打，掴They had a big row and she ended up slapping him. 他们大吵了一架，最后她掴了他一巴掌。spank (also smack especially British English) to hit someone, especially a child, with your open hand in order to punish them 〔作为惩罚〕用手掌打〔小孩〕Should a parent ever smack a child? 父母该不该打孩子？nI don’t agree with smacking.nIn those days, children were spanked if they behaved badly.to hit something 击打某物hit 撞到Jack hit the ball and it flew over the fence. 杰克击球，球飞过了围栏。knock to hit a door or window with your closed hand in order to attract the attention of the people inside 敲〔门、窗〕Someone was knocking on the door. 有人在敲门。 I knocked loudly but no one came. 我大声敲门，可是没人过来应门。strike written to hit a surface. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English 打，击，撞〔strike比hit更正式,主要用于英语书面语中〕The ball struck the side of the goal. 球打在球门的侧面。whack /wæk/ informal to hit something very hard 猛击，重击Edmonds whacked the ball into the air. 埃德蒙兹猛力把球击向空中。bash to hit something hard, especially in a way that causes damage 猛击，猛撞〔尤造成损害〕The police had to bash the door down to get in. 警方只得破门而入。tap to gently hit something with your fingers, often in order to attract someone’s attention 〔常为引起某人注意而用手指〕轻叩，轻拍I tapped him on the shoulder. 我轻轻拍了拍他的肩膀。I heard someone tapping on the window. 我听见有人在轻轻地敲窗户。rap to knock quickly or hit something several times 笃笃地敲，急叩He rapped the table with his pen to bring the meeting to order. 他用笔敲了敲桌子，要大家保持会场秩序。nTwo police officers rapped on the door at 7 o'clock in the morning.bang to suddenly hit something hard, in a way that makes a loud noise 猛敲，砰然重击Her father banged his fist down on the table angrily. 她父亲气愤地一拳砸到桌上。The door suddenly banged shut. 门突然砰的一声关上了。pound written to hit something many times with a lot of force 连续重击，猛打I could hear the sea pounding on the rocks. 我听见海浪猛烈地拍击着岩石。She pounded on the door and shouted wildly. 她捶着门疯狂地叫喊。hammer written to hit something quickly many times making a loud continuous noise 〔大声地〕反复敲打The rain was hammering on the roof. 雨噼噼啪啪地打在屋顶上。A crowd of people were outside hammering on the door angrily. 有一群人在外面怒气冲冲地砰砰打门。to hit something accidentally 意外撞到某物hit 撞到I’ve got a bad bruise where I hit my leg against the table. 我腿上撞到桌子的地方青肿得厉害。The car hit a tree. 汽车撞到了一棵树。bump to hit a part of your body against something, especially because you do not see or notice it 〔尤因没看见或没注意而〕猛碰，撞Careful you don’t bump your head – the ceiling’s very low. 小心别撞头——天花板很低。bang/bash to hit something hard, so that you hurt yourself or damage something 撞击〔致使自己受伤或撞坏某物〕He banged into the car in front. 他撞上了前面那辆车。I bashed my knee climbing over a gate. 我攀爬大门时撞伤了膝盖。nShe fell and bashed her chin on the ground.stub to hit your toe against something and hurt it 使脚趾踢到〔某物〕I stubbed my toe on the piano leg. 我一不小心，脚趾踢到了钢琴腿。 PHRASAL VERBS31 hit back phrasal verb ATTACKto attack or criticize a person or group that has attacked or criticized you 回击，反击 SYN retaliate at The actress hit back at claims that she had threatened a member of staff. 那位女演员对她威胁一名工作人员的说法予以反驳。 with United were a goal down, but hit back with an equalizer. 联队曾落后一球，但进了一球扳平了比分。hit back by doing something He hit back by calling his critics ‘lazy’. 他回击他的批评者，称他们 “懒散”。32 hit on somebody/something phrasal verb a) (also hit upon something)IDEA to have an idea or discover something suddenly or unexpectedly 突然想出〔主意〕，无意中发现〔某事〕 SYN come up with Then we hit on the idea of asking viewers to donate money over the Net. 然后我们突然想出了让电视观众通过网络捐钱的主意。b) SYSEXY American English informal to talk to someone in a way that shows you are sexually attracted to them 用语言挑逗 Dave has hit on most of the women in the department. 戴夫挑逗过部门里的大多数女性。33 hit out phrasal verb to try to hit someone 打〔某人〕 When he felt someone grab him, he hit out wildly. 他觉得有人抓住了他，便奋力回击。34 hit out at somebody/something phrasal verb  (also hit out against somebody/something)DISAPPROVE to express strong disapproval of someone or something 严厉批评，猛烈抨击 SYN attack The bishop hit out at the government’s policy on the homeless. 主教猛烈抨击政府对无家可归者的政策。35 hit somebody up for something phrasal verb American English spoken ASK FOR something/ASK somebody TO DO somethingto ask someone for money 向〔某人〕索要〔钱财〕 Did he hit you up for cash again? 他又问你要钱了吗？36 hit somebody with something phrasal verb informal a) to tell someone something interesting, exciting, or shocking 把〔有趣的、刺激的、吓人的事等〕告诉〔某人〕 The next morning, Steve hit me with the truth. 第二天早晨，史蒂夫把真相告诉了我。b) American English to punish or try to harm someone by doing something that will cause problems for them 〔通过制造麻烦〕惩罚；伤害〔某人〕 The next day, we found they’d hit us with a lawsuit. 第二天，我们发现他们要起诉我们。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

hit• In 1852 he again played well, hitting 24 and 40 not out and 60 against Dalton.• He ran out into the road and almost got hit.• This is somewhat like making the target broader so that it becomes easier to hit.• I had hit a few snags in my work.• He hit a few three-irons and three-woods and that was it.• Five sailors were killed when their ship hit a mine.• As oil production increased, prices hit an all-time low.• He pulled out of the driveway without looking, and almost hit another car.• Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired.• Elderly people were the hardest hit by the increase in tax on fuel.• He hit him hard in the stomach.• Don't hit him, he'll only hit you back.• A sudden rise in inflation always hits living standards.• Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it.• Dad! Peter keeps hitting me!• I hit my elbow on the corner of that table.• Yet only by luck did he hit one of the skaters - who was blasted apart.• Analysts say that the value of the Euro could hit rock bottom in the next few months.• Greg Davis didn't disappoint his teammates, hitting six field goals in six attempts.• If sales continue to increase, output may hit the 500,000 mark this year.• I have to hit the books.• Hit the brakes!• His face hit the concrete before any of the rest of him.• When I hit the elephant grass, I just kept going.• Courtney was a traditionalist, besides which Jack's career had finally begun to hit the fast track.• It's time to hit the shower.• Careful, don't hit your head.Hit ... hard• I sat down again longing to hit something hard.• The chain-link fence swerved in, and this time I hit the brakes hard.• Background: The New York area was hit hard by the recession, but pent-up demand is pushing up prices.• The bulb had obviously been hit hard soas to break its filament, to ensure no warning light came on.• Sometimes, the other players hit him harder than he hits them.• Insurance companies have hit their hardest times yet.• It hit him very hard when Rosie left home - and then when Sean got killed in the war ...badly hit• Motorists passing through Tewkesbury have been badly hit.• The refrigeration industry will be the most badly hit.• The Tapies market was also badly hit.• With stock and bond markets in the doldrums, their trading operations have been badly hit.• Vodafone, which could also be badly hit by such a move, lost 10p to 504p.• It should also drum up more work for a profession that has been badly hit by the recession.• So does Huddur - another badly hit town.be badly/severely/hard hit• Among the industries affected, transport was badly hit.• If a ban is approved, the famous Beaufort hunt will be hard hit.• Luxury and performance car manufacturers were hard hit.• Firms and institutions which are otherwise financially sound could be hard hit by a protracted run of debt defaults.• Vodafone, which could also be badly hit by such a move, lost 10p to 504p.• Campesinos are hard hit by the economic crisis and government forces have deliberately destroyed the livelihood of many subsistence farming families.• Inflation-sensitive bank stocks were hard hit Friday.• Countries not so reliant on oil because of lack of industrial development can be hard hit indirectly.hit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc• Sometimes I am a real power pack of efficiency; then I hit a bad patch.• Talk about hitting a bad patch.• Having hit a bad patch, financially, I decided I must try for some paid work with my knitting machine.• The market for recycled material has recently hit a bad patch with falling prices.hit the ... mark• About half hit the comic mark.• It took five years for revenue to hit the £1 million mark.• Not every story hits the mark.• Words don't always hit the mark, do they?• The umpires green-flagged the crash but penalised Stripes for hitting the mark, effectively giving Kanza the race.• Darren Biggs hit the 50 mark for the season with his win on Iommelli at Sandown yesterday.• In any book of several hundred pages you're bound to hit the mark occasionally.• If one of us hits the half-century mark, we all do.it hit ... that• If your goal is for a stock to gain 20 percent, sell when it hits that point.hit town• But there's little chance of that for Joanne Malkin when the swinging detective hits town.• By the time the celebration rolled around, the media were reporting that 100,000 people were expected to hit town.• So does Huddur - another badly hit town.• Old Hanoi hands said nothing had been seen on this scale since Fidel Castro hit town in the 1970s.• Blockbuster movies hit town like tidal waves.• Whenever she hits town, she enjoys picking with Rozum's fellow Summerdog alumnus Peter McLaughlin.• When Francis hit town Tuesday for tonight's game with the Bulls, the bitterness was gone.

Related topics: Drug culture, Crime

hit2 ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable]  1  successful 成功的 something such as a film, play, song etc that is very popular and successful 风行一时的事物〔如电影、戏剧、歌曲等〕a hit single/show/record etc the hit musical ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ 风靡一时的音乐剧《歌剧魅影》a big/smash/number 1 etc hit The Beatles’ greatest hits. 披头士乐队最受欢迎的歌曲 Which band had a hit with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’? 《波希米亚狂想曲》是哪支乐队风行一时的歌曲？be a hit with somebody (=be liked by them) 是某人喜爱之物 It’s hoped the new museum will be a big hit with families. 人们希望新博物馆会受到众多家庭的喜爱。2  hit STH 击中某物 an occasion when something that is aimed at something else touches it, reaches it, or damages it 命中，击中 Our ship took a direct hit and sank. 我们的船被直接击中下沉了。3  computer 计算机 a) an occasion when someone visits a website 〔对网站的〕访问，点击 The site had 2,000 hits in the first week. 该网站在第一周内有2,000次点击量。 b) a result of a computer search, especially on the Internet 〔尤指在因特网上的〕搜索结果 thousands of irrelevant hits 几千个不相关的搜索结果4  take a hit to be badly affected in some way 〔在某方面〕受到严重影响 The region's economy will take a hit if the airbase is closed. 如果该空军基地被关闭，该地区的经济将受到严重影响。5. informalMDD a feeling of pleasure obtained from taking an illegal drug 〔吸毒后的〕飘飘欲仙6. informalSCC a murder that has been arranged to happen 谋杀 → hit man

Examples from the Corpus

hit• Our site had 2000 hits in the first month.• The tuna tartare with chopped avocado, the clam chowder with smoked bacon and the giant Louisiana prawns were all a hit.• But the decision seems to be a hit with the scouts.• When I first heard the song I knew it would be a hit.• It lasted longer and that, a better hit.• "Titanic" was a big hit all over the world.• This time Dennis claimed hits on a destroyer while Osborne inflicted damage on a supply ship.• an album of the Beatles' greatest hits• a new hit single from Janet Jackson• The official World Cup web-site scored a record number of hits last week.• You may get thousands of hits that are irrelevant to your question.• Still, it was a shock when Vee-Jay filed for bankruptcy in 1965, while it was still turning out hits.• They absorb these losses either by taking the hit themselves or by paying insurance premiums that are roughly equal to those losses.a hit single/show/record etc• Alan King founded Ace and actually had a hit single after all the years of struggle.• Played loose and desperate by Marcus Naylor, Floyd has a hit record out, but he needs another.• Tom says every singer wants to have a hit record.• There are already plans to make the £26,000 jingle into a hit single and show the ad in cinemas.direct hit• The bomb had been a direct hit and only the last few dwellings had still been standing afterwards.• It was in a dance hall, a direct hit.• He was killed instantly, a direct hit.• With a beautiful clean throw Trondur made a direct hit.• I lay under my cot and prayed that our hooch would not take a direct hit with a rocket.• The next one was a direct hit, and the whole ceiling did come down.• A direct hit on the Al-Rasheed was ruled out because of the western journalists there.• Both were direct hits, as he knew they would be.From Longman Business Dictionaryhithit1 /hɪt/ verb (past tense and past participle hit, present participle hitting)1[transitive] to reach a particular level or numberProfits should hit $23 million this year.The company’s shares hit a 52-week high of $34 last Friday.2[transitive] to have a bad effect on somethingStrikes hit several ports in Australia last month.The industry has beenbadly hit by the rise in oil prices.A number of computer retail chains have beenhit hard by the recession.3[intransitive] when a RECESSION hits, it beginsA final blow to the company came when the recession hit in 1990.4hit the market/shops/shelves to become available for people to buyThis new generation of computers is expected to hit the market some time next year.5hit the jackpot to be very successful and make a lot of moneyThe company hit the jackpot with its New Kids range of clothing.→ See Verb tablehithit2 noun [countable]1something that is extremely popular and successfulTheir latest computer game has been abig hit with customers.The group is currently on tour promoting its latesthit single.2take a hit American English if a person or organization takes a hit, they suffer from a problemThe construction industry took a serious hit as jobs declined by 37,000 during the first 10 months of the year.3take a hit American EnglishFINANCE if a company takes a hit in its financial results, it pays a CHARGE (=a cost related to a particular event, usually one that is not repeated in later periods of time)The bank took a huge hit in charges to clean up the mess in its African subsidiaries.4COMPUTING an occasion when someone looks at a particular WEBSITE on the InternetThe Winter Olympics website had over 600 million hits in 16 days.Origin hit1 (1000-1100) Old Norse hitta “to find, hit”

hit1 verb →10-19 →20-30
→THESAURUS1 →PHRASAL VERBS1hit2 nounLDOCE OnlineChinese  

Corpus someone something quickly or touch Business to

hit

I

hit¹ S1 W2 /hɪt/ verb (past tense and past participle hit, present participle hitting)1.  TOUCH SOMEBODY/SOMETHING HARD  [transitive] to touch someone or something quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc:
    He raised the hammer and hit the bell.
    hit somebody/something with something
    The robbers hit him over the head with a baseball bat.
2.  CRASH INTO SOMETHING  [transitive] to move into something or someone quickly and with force:
    The tanks exploded as the plane hit the ground.
    He was hit by a car.
3.  HURT YOURSELF  [transitive] to move a part of your body quickly against something accidentally, causing pain
   SYN  bang:
    The ceiling’s low, so be careful you don’t hit your head.
    hit something on/against something
    She slipped and hit her head on the sidewalk.
4.  SPORT  [transitive]
  a. if you hit a ball or other object, you make it move forward quickly by hitting it with a bat, stick etc
   SYN  strike:
    Hit the ball as hard as you can.
  b. to get points by hitting a ball in a game such as baseball or cricket:
    Last year, Griffey hit 49 home runs.
5.  PRESS  [transitive] informal to press a part in a machine, car, etc to make it work:
    Maria hit the brakes just in time.
6.  ATTACK  [transitive] to attack something or wound someone with a bomb, bullet etc:
    Our ship was badly hit and sank within minutes.
    A second shot hit her in the back.
    The bomb failed to hit its target.
7.  AFFECT BADLY  [intransitive and transitive] if something bad hits a place or a person, it suddenly happens and affects people badly:
    The village has been hit by a devastating drought.
    Hurricane Louis is expected to hit at the weekend.
    be badly/severely/hard hit
    The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence.
    The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
8.  HAVE PROBLEMS  [transitive] to experience trouble, problems etc
    hit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc
    My father hit a bad patch, he had to sell the house.
9.  REACH A LEVEL/NUMBER  [transitive] to reach a particular level or number:
    Sales have hit the 1 million mark.
    hit a peak/an all-time high etc
    Earnings hit a peak in the early 1980s.
    hit rock-bottom/an all-time low etc
    Oil prices have hit rock-bottom.
10.  REALIZE  [transitive] if a fact hits you, you suddenly realize its importance and feel surprised or shocked:
    It’s impossible to pinpoint a moment when it hit me that I was ‘a success’.
    He was gone before they knew what had hit them (=realized what had happened).
11.  SMELL/SIGHT ETC  [transitive] if a smell or sight hits you, you suddenly smell or see it:
    The smell of stale smoke hit him as he entered.
12.  ARRIVE  [transitive] informal to arrive at a place:
    They hit the main road two kilometres further on.
    hit town American English:
    I’ll look for work as soon as I hit town.
13. hit the road/trail informal to begin a journey
14. hit the shops/streets if a product hits the shops, it becomes available to buy:
    I managed to get a copy of the book before it hit the shops.
15. hit the headlines to be reported widely on television, in newspapers etc:
    The couple hit the headlines last year when their relationship broke down.
16. hit the bottle informal to start drinking too much alcohol regularly:
    After his marriage failed, he hit the bottle big time.
17. hit the dirt/the deck informal to fall to the ground in order to avoid something dangerous:
    My first instinct was to hit the dirt.
18. hit a (brick) wall informal to suddenly not be able to make any progress:
    I felt I’d hit a wall with my playing.
19. hit the buffers/skids informal if a plan, project etc hits the buffers, it fails:
    Croft’s comeback hit the skids yesterday when she lost in the quarter-finals.
20. hit somebody when they are down informal to upset or harm someone when they are already defeated
21. hit somebody where it hurts informal to do something that you know will upset someone in the most damaging way:
    Hit your husband where it hurts – in his wallet__
22. hit it off (with somebody) informal if two people hit it off, they like each other as soon as they meet:
    I knew you’d hit it off with Mike.
23. hit the big time (also hit it big American English) informal to suddenly become very famous, successful, and rich:
    The 25-year-old painter hopes to hit it big in New York.
24. hit the ground running to start doing something successfully without any delay:
    Law graduates are expected to hit the ground running.
25. hit the jackpot
  a. to win a lot of money
  b. to have a big success:
    Owens hit the jackpot in his first professional game with the Cowboys.
26. hit the nail on the head informal used to say that what someone has said is exactly right:
    You’ve hit the nail on the head there, David.
27. hit home
  a. if a remark, criticism etc about you hits home, you realize that it is true:
    Graham didn’t reply, but she could see her words had hit home.
  b. if a blow or kick hits home, it hits the thing it is aimed at
28. hit the spot informal to have exactly the good effect that you wanted, especially when you are hungry or thirsty
29. hit the roof/ceiling informal to be very angry:
    Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.
30. hit the sack (also hit the hay American English) informal to go to bed
⇨ the shit hits the fan at shit²(17), ⇨ hit/strike paydirt at paydirt
     

THESAURUS

■ to hit someone
   ▪ hit to hit someone quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc: He hit him hard in the stomach. | I don’t like to see people hitting a dog.
   ▪ beat to hit someone deliberately many times, especially very hard: The girl had been beaten to death. | He was beating the donkey with a stick.
   ▪ strike written to hit someone with your hand or a weapon. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English: Her husband struck her twice across the face. | Police say that the man had been struck on the head.
   ▪ punch to hit someone hard with your closed hand, especially in a fight: I punched him on the nose. | She was screaming and punching him with her fists.
   ▪ thump /θʌmp/ informal to punch someone very hard: Sometimes I just want to thump him.
   ▪ beat somebody up to hurt someone badly in a violent attack, by hitting them many times: If I tell the police, they'll beat me up. | He had been beaten up and tortured with lighted cigarettes.
   ▪ slap to hit someone with your open hand, especially because you are angry with them: They had a big row and she ended up slapping him.
   ▪ spank (also smack especially British English) to hit someone, especially a child, with your open hand in order to punish them: Should a parent ever smack a child? | I don’t agree with smacking. | In those days, children were spanked if they behaved badly.
■ to hit something
   ▪ hit: Jack hit the ball and it flew over the fence
   ▪ knock to hit a door or window with your closed hand in order to attract the attention of the people inside: Someone was knocking on the door. | I knocked loudly but no one came.
   ▪ strike written to hit a surface. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English: The ball struck the side of the goal.
   ▪ whack /wæk/ informal to hit something very hard: Edmonds whacked the ball into the air.
   ▪ bash to hit something hard, especially in a way that causes damage: The police had to bash the door down to get in.
   ▪ tap to gently hit something with your fingers, often in order to attract someone’s attention: I tapped him on the shoulder. | I heard someone tapping on the window.
   ▪ rap to knock quickly or hit something several times: He rapped the table with his pen to bring the meeting to order. | Two police officers rapped on the door at 7 o'clock in the morning.
   ▪ bang to suddenly hit something hard, in a way that makes a loud noise: Her father banged his fist down on the table angrily. | The door suddenly banged shut.
   ▪ pound written to hit something many times with a lot of force: I could hear the sea pounding on the rocks. | She pounded on the door and shouted wildly.
   ▪ hammer written to hit something quickly many times making a loud continuous noise: The rain was hammering on the roof. | A crowd of people were outside hammering on the door angrily.
■ to hit something accidentally
   ▪ hit: I’ve got a bad bruise where I hit my leg against the table. | The car hit a tree.
   ▪ bump to hit a part of your body against something, especially because you do not see or notice it: Careful you don’t bump your head – the ceiling’s very low.
   ▪ bang/bash to hit something hard, so that you hurt yourself or damage something: He banged into the car in front. | I bashed my knee climbing over a gate. | She fell and bashed her chin on the ground.
   ▪ stub to hit your toe against something and hurt it: I stubbed my toe on the piano leg.
     
hit back phrasal verb
  to attack or criticize a person or group that has attacked or criticized you
   SYN  retaliate
    hit back at
    The actress hit back at claims that she had threatened a member of staff.
    hit back with
    United were a goal down, but hit back with an equalizer.
    hit back by doing something
    He hit back by calling his critics ‘lazy’.
hit on somebody/something phrasal verb
  1. (also hit upon something) to have an idea or discover something suddenly or unexpectedly
   SYN  come up with:
    Then we hit on the idea of asking viewers to donate money over the Net.
  2. American English informal to talk to someone in a way that shows you are sexually attracted to them:
    Dave has hit on most of the women in the department.
hit out phrasal verb
  to try to hit someone:
    When he felt someone grab him, he hit out wildly.
hit out at somebody/something phrasal verb
  (also hit out against somebody/something) to express strong disapproval of someone or something
   SYN  attack:
    The bishop hit out at the government’s policy on the homeless.
hit somebody up for something phrasal verb American English spoken
  to ask someone for money:
    Did he hit you up for cash again?
hit somebody with something phrasal verb informal
  1. to tell someone something interesting, exciting, or shocking:
    The next morning, Steve hit me with the truth.
  2. American English to punish or try to harm someone by doing something that will cause problems for them:
    The next day, we found they’d hit us with a lawsuit.

II

hit² S3 W3 noun [countable]
1.  SUCCESSFUL something such as a film, play, song etc that is very popular and successful
    a hit single/show/record etc
    the hit musical ‘Phantom of the Opera’
    a big/smash/number 1 etc hit
    the Beatles’ greatest hits
    Which band had a hit with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?
    be a hit with somebody (=be liked by them)
    It’s hoped the new museum will be a big hit with families.
2.  HIT SOMETHING an occasion when something that is aimed at something else touches it, reaches it, or damages it:
    Our ship took a direct hit and sank.
3.  COMPUTER
  a. an occasion when someone visits a website:
    The site had 2,000 hits in the first week.
  b. a result of a computer search, especially on the Internet:
    thousands of irrelevant hits
4. take a hit to be badly affected in some way:
    The region's economy will take a hit if the airbase is closed.
5. informal a feeling of pleasure obtained from taking an illegal drug
6. informal a murder that has been arranged to happen
⇨ hit man
     

THESAURUS

■ something that is popular
   ▪ bestseller a book that a lot of people buy: His prize-winning book ‘A Year in Provence’ became an international bestseller.
   ▪ blockbuster a film that a lot of people watch, especially an exciting film: a Hollywood blockbuster | a blockbuster movie
   ▪ hit something such as a song, show, or film which is very popular and successful: The band played all their old hits. | The film was a box-office hit (=a lot of people went to see it at the cinema). | She stars in ABC’s hit show ‘Desperate Housewives’.
   ▪ sell-out a concert, sports event etc which so many people want to see that all the tickets are sold: The concert was a sell-out. | the band’s sell-out tour of the US
   ▪ cult movie/band/figure etc a film, band, person etc that has become very popular and fashionable with a particular group of people: a cult TV programme
   ▪ craze something that suddenly becomes popular, so that a lot of people do it, buy it etc: the latest dance craze that has been sweeping the US | the craze for ultra expensive designer jeans
   ▪ fad informal something that is very popular for a short time – used about something that you disapprove of, which you do not think will last for very long: Most diets are just fads. | I think it’s a passing fad.