单词	hit
释义	hit1 verbhit2 noun hithit1 /hɪt/ ●●● S1 W2 verb (past tense and past participle hit, present participle hitting) Entry menu MENU FOR hithit1 touch somebody/something hard2 crash into something3 hurt yourself4 sport5 press6 attack7 affect badly8 have problems9 reach a level/number10 realize11 smell/sight etc12 arrive13 hit the road/trail14 hit the shops/streets15 hit the headlines16 hit the bottle17 hit the dirt/the deck18 hit a (brick) wall19 hit the buffers/skids20 hit somebody when they are down21 hit somebody where it hurts22 hit it off (with somebody)23 hit the big time24 hit the ground running25 hit the jackpot26 hit the nail on the head27 hit home28 hit the spot29 hit the roof/ceiling30 hit the sackPhrasal verbshit backhit on somebody/somethinghit outhit out at somebody/somethinghit somebody up for somethinghit somebody with something Word Origin WORD ORIGINhit1 Origin: 1000-1100 Old Norse hitta ‘to find, hit’ Verb Table VERB TABLE hit Simple Form Present I, you, we, they hit he, she, it hits Past I, you, he, she, it, we, they hit Present perfect I, you, we, they have hit he, she, it has hit Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had hit Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will hit Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have hit Continuous Form Present I am hitting he, she, it is hitting you, we, they are hitting Past I, he, she, it was hitting you, we, they were hitting Present perfect I, you, we, they have been hitting he, she, it has been hitting Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had been hitting Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will be hitting Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have been hitting Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES Hit the brakes! A sudden rise in inflation always hits living standards. Analysts say that the value of the Euro could hit rock bottom in the next few months. As oil production increased, prices hit an all-time low. Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it. Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired. Careful, don't hit your head. Dad! Peter keeps hitting me! Don't hit him, he'll only hit you back. Elderly people were the hardest hit by the increase in tax on fuel. Five sailors were killed when their ship hit a mine. Greg Davis didn't disappoint his teammates, hitting six field goals in six attempts. He hit him hard in the stomach. He pulled out of the driveway without looking, and almost hit another car. He ran out into the road and almost got hit. I hit my elbow on the corner of that table. I had hit a few snags in my work. I have to hit the books. If sales continue to increase, output may hit the 500,000 mark this year. It's time to hit the shower. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS Courtney was a traditionalist, besides which Jack's career had finally begun to hit the fast track. He hit a few three-irons and three-woods and that was it. His face hit the concrete before any of the rest of him. In 1852 he again played well, hitting 24 and 40 not out and 60 against Dalton. This is somewhat like making the target broader so that it becomes easier to hit. When I hit the elephant grass, I just kept going. Yet only by luck did he hit one of the skaters - who was blasted apart. Thesaurus THESAURUSto 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 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 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. Longman Language Activatorto hit someone deliberately► hit to hit someone with your hand or with something that you are holding in your hand: · Dad! Peter keeps hitting me!hit with: · The victim had been hit with a baseball bat.hit somebody on the nose/in the stomach/over the head etc: · There was a fight, and someone had hit him over the head with a chair.hit somebody hard (=with a lot of force): · He hit him hard in the stomach.hit somebody back (=to hit someone when they have hit you): · Don't hit him, he'll only hit you back. ► punch also slug informal to hit someone hard with your closed hand, especially in a fight or because you are angry: · The woman claimed that she had been punched and kicked by one of the policemen.· The actor slugged a photographer who got too close.punch somebody on the nose/in the eye/in the chest etc: · Dean punched her in the ribs and pushed her against the wall. ► slap to hit someone, especially on their face, with the flat part of your open hand: · I was so angry I wanted to slap him.slap somebody across the face: · She slapped him across the face and stormed out of the room.slap somebody's face: · Dora slapped his face and ran home. ► strike formal to hit someone, especially on a particular part of their body: · Her husband had never struck her before.strike with: · Evidence shows that the victim had been struck several times with an iron bar.strike somebody on the head/in the stomach etc: · The court heard that the defendant had struck Payne repeatedly in the face, causing serious bruising. ► throw a punch to hit or try to hit someone very hard with a closed hand in a fight: · Rogers threw a punch at Martin.· Foreman, once the World Heavyweight Champion, says 'I never throw a punch in anger.' ► whack informal to hit someone hard, with your hand or with an object: · If he said anything like that to me, I'd whack him! ► thump informal to hit someone very hard with your closed hand, especially on their body rather than on their face or head: · Mike thumped Stephanie's back several times to stop her choking. ► bash spoken to hit someone hard, especially in a fight: bash somebody's head/face/teeth etc in: · I told him I'd bash his head in if he ever touched her again. ► clobber spoken to hit someone very hard, either with your hand or with a hard object: · The kids are bored, and have nothing to do but clobber each other. to hit someone repeatedly► beat to hit someone hard and repeatedly with your hand or with something such as a stick: · It was clear that she had been badly beaten by her husband.beat with: · Police officers had beaten the man with their batons.beat somebody black and blue (=beat someone so hard that their body is covered in marks): · The child had been beaten black and blue.beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard and violently): · Osborne wanted to beat the living daylights out of Flanagan. ► beat up to hit someone hard and repeatedly all over their body, leaving them badly hurt and often unable to move: · He would come home drunk, get into a fight with Mom, and beat her up.· Carl got beaten up outside a nightclub on Saturday night. ► batter to repeatedly hit someone in an uncontrolled and violent way: · Teachers suspect that the child is being battered regularly by his parents.batter with: · There were reports of soldiers battering prisoners with their rifles.batter somebody to death (=until they are dead): · The jury heard how Thompson had been maddened by what he saw and battered his wife to death. ► beat up on American to repeatedly hit someone weaker than yourself, for example a younger child at school: · He was a bully, a mean kid who beat up on the other kids. ► knock somebody about British /knock somebody around American to hit someone several times, especially in order to frighten them: · My father used to knock my mother about when he was drunk.· They had been threatened with a gun, pushed, shoved, and knocked around. ► club to hit someone very hard, especially on the head with a thick heavy object: · Football fans were clubbed by riot police trying to stop the violence.club somebody to death (=until they are dead): · Baby seals are clubbed to death for their fur. a car/train/plane etc hits something► hit · The bus hit a tree and the driver was badly injured.· He pulled out of the driveway without looking, and almost hit another car.· Five sailors were killed when their ship hit a mine.hit something head-on (=directly) · The driver of a Ford van lost control and hit another car head-on. ► run into to hit something that is directly in front of you with your vehicle, especially because you are not paying attention: · I turned too sharply and ran into the curb.· We almost ran into a Rolls-Royce that pulled out in front of us without signalling. ► run over to hit and injure a person or animal while driving a vehicle: run over somebody/run somebody over: · How can you run over a child and not stop?be run over by something: · The boy's dog had been run over by a car.get run over: · Make sure the lights on your bike are working. I don't want you getting run over. ► crash/smash into to hit something or someone very hard while you are driving a vehicle, making a lot of noise and causing damage: · The driver lost control on a curve and crashed into a tree.· An airplane had crashed into a mountain, killing all two hundred passengers.go crashing into something: · The car skidded, then went crashing into the bus shelter.· An army helicopter smashed into the side of the mountain. ► ram/slam into to hit something or someone very hard while you are moving in a vehicle, especially when what you hit is not moving: · The driver had been drinking when he rammed into a car waiting at a red light.· Some idiot slammed into me from behind. ► plough into British /plow into American to hit a large number of vehicles or people with a vehicle, especially as a result of driving too fast, not paying attention etc: · The car went out of control and ploughed into a group of people on the sidewalk.· When the driver fell asleep, the bus ploughed into a line of traffic. ► collide if two vehicles collide , they hit each other when they are moving in opposite directions: · Four or five cars had collided in the fog.collide with: · The transport helicopter he was in collided with another and crashed. ► ram to deliberately hit another vehicle very hard, especially when it is not moving: · The ship had been rammed by a submarine. ► go into British informal to hit something or someone with a vehicle: · Someone went into the back of my bike at the traffic lights. to hit someone or something accidentally► hit · Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it.· There's a chip on the windshield where a stone hit it.hit somebody on the head/knee etc · The ball hit me in the face.hit your head/knee/elbow etc · The ceiling's very low. Mind you don't hit your head.hit something on/against something · I hit my elbow on the corner of that table.get hit · He ran out into the road and almost got hit.· Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired. ► bump into if you bump into something or someone, you hit them with part of your body accidentally when you are walking or running somewhere: · Jim turned suddenly and bumped into me.· The room was dark, and I bumped into the door . ► bump to accidentally and suddenly hit part of your body against something: bump your head/elbow/knee etc: · Babies are always bumping their heads.bump against: · His right leg bumped against the parking brake. ► strike formal if something, especially a heavy object, strikes something or someone, it hits them hard once: · A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.· The ball struck him in the face. ► crash into to hit someone or something extremely hard, especially while moving very fast: · Tyler injured his shoulder when he crashed into Jesse Lyons during practice.· Parts of the satellite crashed into the sea.go crashing into somebody/something: · He stopped suddenly, and I went crashing into him.· Glasses and bottles went crashing to the floor. ► knock to hit someone or something with a short quick movement: · She knocked me with her elbow as she passed.knock against: · The heavy video camera knocked against his hip as he walked.knock into: · She turned and ran, knocking into bystanders as she went.knock something against/into something: · One of the movers knocked the sofa against a doorway. ► bang/bash to hit someone or something hard, often making a noise and hurting someone or damaging something: bang your head/knee/elbow etc: · I banged my head getting into the car.bang something into/against/on etc something: · Tom bashed his knee against the table.· He slipped, banging his guitar against the door.bang/bash into/against: · Kids raced around the playground, banging into each other, screaming, and letting off steam. ► collide if two people or things collide , they accidentally hit each other when they are moving in different directions: · Barker and Mason collided while going for the ball.· When the plates of land that form the earth collide or slide past each other, earthquakes result.collide with: · I backed out of the door and promptly collided with someone. 'I'm sorry,' I said. ► crack to hit your head, knee, elbow etc hard and painfully against something: crack something on/against something: · He slipped and cracked his head on the steps.· Mary cracked her knee on the corner of her desk. to hit someone as a punishment► beat to repeatedly hit someone with your hand, with a stick etc as a punishment: · The guards used to regularly beat the prisoners.· Teachers are no longer allowed to beat students who misbehave.beat with: · Slaves were sometimes beaten with sticks or even whipped. ► spank to hit someone repeatedly, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand, on their bottom: · The two boys were spanked and sent to bed without their supper.· Many parents no longer spank their kids as a form of discipline. ► smack/slap also swat American to hit someone, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand on their hand, the backs of their legs, their face etc: · If you don't stop that, I'll smack you!· Slap her hand lightly when she touches something she shouldn't.· He grinned and I wanted to swat him, but he wasn't my son so I didn't. ► give somebody a beating to hit someone violently and repeatedly with something such as a stick, in order to punish them: · The guards gave the prisoner a beating.give somebody a good/sound beating: · His father took him into the barn and gave him a good beating. ► whip/flog to hit someone very hard with a rope, whip etc especially on their back in order to punish them: · The hostage had terrible scars on his back where he had been whipped.· What kind of a society flogs women simply for saying what they think? ► corporal punishment the practice of punishing people, especially children at school, by hitting them with something such as a stick: · In my first year at Hendon School, I had my first taste of corporal punishment.· Corporal punishment is, thankfully, no longer used. to hit someone in a friendly way etc► slap/clap somebody on the back to hit someone on the back with the flat part of your hand, for example as a friendly greeting or in order to praise them: · "How are you? I haven't seen you for ages," she said, slapping Jim on the back.· The coach said "Well done!'' and clapped each player on the back as they entered the changing room. ► pat to gently hit someone, usually on their back, shoulder, or head, in order to praise them or show them that you like them: · Roz reached over and patted her hand.· He got up, patted her on the shoulder, and gave her a quick kiss. to make someone or something fall down by hitting them► knock out to hit someone so hard that they fall down and become unconscious: knock somebody out: · Jackson hit Brian hard with his left fist and knocked him out.knock out somebody: · He is a good boxer, a powerful puncher who has knocked out 18 of his 20 opponents to date.knock somebody out cold (=so that they become completely unconscious): · The blow to Sergeant Lewis' head had knocked him out cold. ► punch out American to hit someone with your closed hand, so hard that they become unconscious: punch somebody out: · I got so mad I just wanted to punch someone out.punch somebody out: · The coach threw him off the team after he punched out a teammate. ► knock down/over to hit someone or something and make them fall onto the ground - use this about people or objects hitting someone or something: knock somebody/something down/over: · Jo was almost knocked down by a kid on a bicycle.· One boy crashed into him and knocked him over.knock over somebody/something: · There was a crash as the cat knocked over something in the kitchen.get knocked down/over: · As the crowd rushed towards the gate, several people got knocked over. ► knock off to hit something so that it falls off a surface: knock off something/knock something off: · Part of the puzzle had been knocked off onto the floor.knock something off something: · Ellie accidentally knocked a cup of milk off the table. to hit an object/door/table etc with something► hit · You have to try to hit the ball over the net.· The first time I tried archery, I couldn't even hit the target. ► knock to hit a door or window, especially with your closed hand, in order to attract the attention of the people inside: · Would you mind knocking before you come in?· I waited a moment, then knocked again.knock on/at: · Lula knocked at the back door and he appeared, dressed in pyjamas.· 'Mattie?' called Jerry, knocking on the door. ► tap to hit something gently so that it makes a light noise, especially in order to get someone's attention: · Daley read the notes, tapping a pencil on the desk.tap on/at: · She tapped on the window to attract his attention. ► bang to hit a door, table etc very hard with your hand or with an object, in order to attract attention or because you are angry: · Thomas banged his fist on the table.bang on/at: · I banged at the door but nobody came.· He complained loudly until Val finally banged on the table and shouted at him.bang something shut: · Sherman banged the door shut. ► rap to hit something loudly and very quickly several times in order to attract attention: · The conductor rapped the music stand with his baton and the violins stopped playing.rap on/at: · Seeing her son outside, Mrs Evans rapped on the window and called him back into the house. ► strike formal to hit something hard, especially in a very controlled or skilful way: · Morris struck his drum, and the band started to march down the street.· In anger, he struck the wall with a stick. ► bash also give something a bash British informal to hit something hard with your hand or with a stick, hammer etc especially in a careless way: · If the television stops working, just bash it a couple of times -- that usually helps.· I put the box on the floor and gave it a good bash with my hammer, but it still wouldn't open. ► whack to hit something hard and noisily, especially using a flat object: · Buckley whacked the ball into left field.· The Georgia man whacked his fist on the bar. ► hammer to keep hitting something very loudly and quickly especially with your closed hand, because you are angry, impatient etc: hammer on/at/against: · The children hammered at the door to be let in out of the rain.· Her heart hammered against her ribs. to hit an object or surface and move away again► bounce off to move a long way away from a surface or object after hitting it hard: bounce off something: · The game of squash is played by hitting a ball that bounces off a wall.bounce something off something: · The device works by bouncing sound waves off objects and measuring the time it takes for the sound to return. ► rebound to hit something and then move away again: · Summers caught the ball as it hit the wall and rebounded.rebound off: · Electrons move around quickly, hitting and then rebounding off each other. ► glance off if something glances off an object that it hits, it hits the surface at an angle and then moves away from it in another direction: · A shot by Best glanced off the rim of the basket. ► ricochet if a bullet ricochets , it hits an object and moves away from it very quickly: · I heard the shot ricochet, then felt a sudden pain in my leg.ricochet off: · A bullet ricocheted off the rock he was hiding behind. when something hits someone or something► blow the movement of hitting someone hard with your hand or with something held in your hand: · The blow proved fatal.strike (somebody) a blow: · The assailant struck several blows before he was restrained.· Officer Stacey was knocked over by a sharp blow to the head. ► impact when one object hits another: · Just after the impact there was a flash as the rocket exploded.on impact: · Both cars burst into flames on impact. ► collision when something, especially a vehicle, hits something else while it is moving: · Whiplash, a neck injury, is a result of automobile collisions.· News of the mid-air collision reached the papers quickly.head-on collision (=when two vehicles hit each other directly): · Those who drive the road regularly say their biggest fear is a head-on collision. to attack someone because they attacked you► retaliate to attack someone because they have attacked you first: · The government wants peace, but will not hesitate to retaliate if attacked.· She decided not to retaliate physically, because it would put her in even greater danger.retaliate by doing something: · When police tried to push back the crowd, a few youths retaliated by throwing stones at them.· Later that day, whites retaliated by killing a young black delivery driver. retaliate against: · He has promised to take tough measures to retaliate against extremists. retaliate for (=because of what someone has done to you): · In an interview, Tyson claimed he was retaliating for Holyfield's attack on him.retaliate with: · I fully accept that it was wrong of the guards to retaliate with blows and kicks. ► counter-attack an attack that an army makes after it has been attacked by an enemy: · The enemy had started a vicious counter-attack, forcing the French into the woods.launch/mount a counter-attack: · Allied forces were regrouping in order to launch a counter-attack. ► hit back/strike back to attack a person or army that has attacked you first, especially in order to try and show that you are very strong and cannot be defeated: · The tanks and artillery will hit back hard if the ceasefire is broken.hit back/strike back with: · Less than 24 hours after this cross-border raid, army jets hit back with a devastating air strike.hit back/strike back at: · He suspected that the US would take the opportunity to strike back at the Axis forces. ► tit-for-tat : tit-for-tat killings/murders/response etc a killing, reaction etc done because someone has done something similar to someone in your group: · Any hope of peace is destroyed by these endless tit-for-tat attacks.· The murder is thought to have been a tit-for-tat response by the Mafia to an earlier gangland killing. to get drunk► get drunk · Their idea of a good time is to go out and get drunk.· I can't remember the last time I got drunk.get drunk on · She sometimes gets drunk on two glasses of wine. ► drown your sorrows to drink a lot of alcohol with the purpose of getting drunk, in order to forget your problems: · After his girlfriend left he spent the evening drowning his sorrows in a local bar.drown your sorrows in: · You can't just sit around day after day drowning your sorrows in whiskey. ► hit the bottle informal to start to drink a lot of alcohol regularly, especially in order to forget your problems: · When his wife died he hit the bottle again.· My sister's been hitting the bottle a lot lately and her work is starting to suffer. to become famous► become famous/well known · Many people dream of becoming famous.· The brand name has become well known in Britain through clever advertising.become famous overnight (=very suddenly) · With the success of their first record, they became famous overnight. ► make your name/make a name for yourself to become well known, especially as a result of hard work or an unusual achievement: · Clint Eastwood first made a name for himself in the TV series "Rawhide".make your name/make a name for yourself as: · By the time he was 30, Evans had made his name as the editor of "The Sunday Times".· She is beginning to make a name for herself as a fashion designer. ► rise to fame/shoot to fame/win fame (as) to become famous, especially suddenly: · John Lydon shot to fame in the mid-1970s as Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols.· She won fame as the youngest-ever Olympic champion gymnast. ► achieve notoriety to become famous for something bad: · The director's films have achieved notoriety for their graphic depiction of violence.achieve a certain notoriety (=become slightly famous for something): · The club has achieved a certain notoriety as a meeting place for criminals and drug dealers. ► hit the headlines/make (the) headlines to suddenly become very famous and receive a lot of attention from the newspapers, television etc, sometimes only for a short time: · The island hit the headlines last year when huge tidal waves killed 2,000 people.· The bizarre court case was shown on TV and made headlines around the world. ► rising star someone, especially a young person, who is quickly becoming more and more famous: · She's one of the rising stars of politics and an excellent public speaker. to become someone's friend► make friends to start to be someone's friend, especially when you have to make an effort to do this: · Her family moved a lot, and it wasn't always easy to make friends.make friends with: · The children soon made friends with the kids next door. ► become friends if two people become friends , they begin to be friends: · They met at an art class and became friends.· I'd known him for years, but we really didn't become friends until high school. ► hit it off informal if two people hit it off , they immediately become friends when they meet for the first time: · I knew you and Mark would hit it off.· The two men ended up in the same business law class and hit it off immediately. ► click informal if two people click , they like each other immediately when they first meet, because they have the same ideas or opinions, or laugh at the same things: · We just clicked, and we've been friends ever since.click with: · I never really clicked with my boss, and it made work a little more difficult. ► strike up a friendship to make friends with someone very quickly, especially if you do it intentionally: · The two women struck up a friendship when they met on holiday.· We met for the first time at a business conference, and we immediately struck up a friendship which has lasted for years. ► befriend to be friendly to someone who needs help, for example someone with financial or emotional problems: · His parents befriended some American soldiers who served in Wales during World War II.· It's fairly unusual for high school seniors to befriend freshmen. ► fall in with also get in with spoken to begin to be friends with a group of people, especially people that other people do not approve of: · He's fallen in with a group of boys I don't like very much.· She used her husband's money and family to get in with a group of Hollywood's social elite. to harm a person, group, country etc► harm to have a bad effect on something, in a way that makes it weaker, less effective, or less successful: · Walking out without giving any notice will only harm your career.· Any scandal will certainly harm the company's reputation.· These new export restrictions are sure to harm the economy.· The most important consideration is that the environment is not harmed. ► damage to permanently harm something such as the success, health, or image of a person, organization etc so that they are not as effective as before: · Several recent events have damaged the government's public image.· This is likely to damage Scott's reputation even more.seriously/badly damage something: · Smoking can seriously damage your health.· The company's future prospects will be badly damaged if this deal falls through. ► be bad for/have a bad effect on to change or effect something in a harmful way: · Drinking so much is bound to have a bad effect on your health.· An increase in interest rates at the present time would definitely be bad for business. ► hit to have a sudden bad effect on someone or something, harming them badly: · A sudden rise in inflation always hits living standards.be badly hit: · Southern England has been badly hit by flooding, and many homes are now without power.hit something/somebody hard: · Elderly people were the hardest hit by the increase in tax on fuel. ► hurt to have a bad effect on an organization or activity, by making it less successful or effective: · Most companies have been hurt by the economic slowdown.· This is mainly going to hurt those who already have least. ► be/deal a blow to to harm the plans, chances, confidence etc of a person or organization: · It would be stupid to pretend this was anything but a blow to the prime minister.be a big/serious/severe etc blow: · The incident was a severe blow to UN peace efforts.· Losing the match against Rumania, dealt a huge blow to the team. ► impair to harm something such as an ability or the way a body or system works - use this especially in medical or technical contexts: · If a witness is allowed to withhold evidence, it impairs the legal process.· Alcohol significantly impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. ► be detrimental to formal to be likely to harm something: · Working in front of a computer all day may be detrimental to your eyesight.· Any further housing development will be detrimental to the character of this small town. ► at the expense of something if you do something at the expense of someone or something else, you do it in order to gain an advantage, even if it harms them or has a bad effect on them: · Cigarette manufacturers continue to pursue profit at the expense of our children.· Many people are now working a fifty or sixty hour week, at the expense of their family life. ► wreak havoc/play havoc to seriously harm something by causing a lot of harm and confusion: · A major computer failure wrought havoc on the New York Subway last night.wreak havoc/play havoc with: · Working so late is starting to play havoc with her social life. to think of an idea► have an idea · I've had an idea. What do you think about going to Greece this summer?· That's the best idea you've had all day.have an idea for · Do you have any ideas for a birthday present for Mum?have the idea of doing something · He had the idea of hiding Ali's shoes. ► get an idea to think of an idea - use this especially to say what made you think of it or to ask someone what made them think of it: · Where on earth did you get that idea?get the idea for something: · Mark got the idea for the novel when he was in Boston in 1969.get an idea from: · It wasn't my own idea. I got it from a TV movie.get the idea of doing something: · She first got the idea of working with elderly people after the death of her mother.get an idea that : · I don't know how she got the idea that she was too fat. ► think of to have an idea about what to do, how to do something etc: · At first, we couldn't think of a name for the band.· Seth decided to go home. He couldn't think of anything else to do.· Ask Dad. He might be able to think of a solution. ► come to if an idea comes to someone, they have the idea suddenly and without trying hard to think of it: · The idea for the new advertising campaign came to me while I was visiting Thailand.it came to somebody that: · It suddenly came to me that I'd seen her somewhere before.come to somebody in a flash (=very suddenly): · It came to Blake in a flash that the man was really a detective. ► hit on/upon informal to have a good idea after thinking about or working on a problem for a long time: · At last we hit on a way of getting Tom and Marcia to meet.· The architects finally hit upon a design that seemed to please everyone. ► be inspired by if someone's plan, work of art, action etc is inspired by something, that is what gave them the idea to do it: · The novel was inspired by her own experiences in India.· Some of Picasso's work was inspired by African art.· The 1911 strike was inspired by the revolutionary ideas flooding out of Europe at that time. to like someone► like to think someone has good qualities so that you feel friendly towards them: · I've always liked Sally - she's a lot of fun.· Everybody liked Mr. Schofield, but he wasn't a very good teacher.· I never really liked her - she was always a bit stuck-up and condescending. ► be fond of to like someone very much, especially when you have known them for a long time: · You're very fond of Tyler, aren't you?· Over the years, the old man grew very fond of his nurse. ► be attached to to like someone that you have known for a long time, so that you would be upset if they left you: · We've grown quite attached to you, Annie, and we'll be very sorry to see you leave.· Nurses can easily get too attached to their patients. ► have a soft spot for informal to like one person in particular more than the other people in a group: · She's always had a soft spot for her youngest grandson.· I've had a soft spot for Janet ever since she took my side in the argument I had with Jimmy. ► see something in to like someone because of a particular quality that they have, especially when other people do not notice that quality in them: · Tom's so innocent. He only sees the good in everyone he meets.· I can't figure out what Doug sees in her. ► a man/woman after your own heart spoken someone that you like because they have the same attitudes that you have, or like the same things that you like: · I like the way she runs her business - a woman after my own heart. ► hit it off if two people hit it off , they like each other, especially as soon as they meet: · Art Howe asked him to come for an interview for the coaching job, and the two men hit it off immediately.· Those two didn't really hit it off at first, did they?hit it off with: · You can't expect to hit it off with everyone you meet. when a number or amount reaches a particular level► reach if a number or amount reaches a particular level, it increases or decreases until it gets to that level: · Gold prices have reached their lowest level in 15 years.reach $500/100 mph etc: · Wind speeds reached over 100 mph in coastal districts.· The value of most houses in this area has reached over £200,000.reach a peak (=reach the highest level): · Inflation continued to rise, reaching a peak of 28%. ► hit to reach a very high or a very low level: · The temperature hit 40°C in parts of the country yesterday.· If sales continue to increase, output may hit the 500,000 mark this year.hit rock bottom (=reach an extremely low level): · Analysts say that the value of the Euro could hit rock bottom in the next few months.hit an all-time low/high (=reach the lowest or highest level ever): · As oil production increased, prices hit an all-time low. ► attain to reach a high level - use this in formal or technical contexts : attain a height/speed etc of something: · When migrating, birds may attain a height of three thousand metres or more.· The latest model is capable of attaining speeds in excess of 300 kph.attain a high of something: · Share prices attained a high of $3.27. ► touch to reach a high or a low level for a very short time: · The plane touched the speed of sound in a power dive.touch a high of something: · Yesterday, the dollar touched a seventeen-week high of 1.4748 marks. when pictures, films etc do not make things seem real► realize also realise British · Tim only realized his mistake the next day.· Without realising it, we had gone the wrong way.· Oh, is that your chair? Sorry, I didn't realize.realize (that) · She woke up and realised that there was someone moving around downstairs. ► occur to if something occurs to you, you suddenly realize that it might be true, especially when you had been thinking something completely different before: it occurs to somebody (that): · It suddenly occurred to me that maybe she was lying.· Didn't it ever occur to you that they would probably like to be alone together? ► become aware to slowly realize something, especially over a fairly long period of time: become aware of: · I was slowly becoming aware of how much Melissa was suffering.become aware that: · He became aware that the man sitting opposite was staring at him intently. ► sink in if a fact or someone's words sink in , you gradually realize their full meaning: · The news of the President's assassination had only just begun to sink in.· Winning this tournament means so much to me. It hasn't really sunk in yet. ► dawn on if a fact dawns on you, you slowly start to realize it, especially when you should have realized it before: · The awful truth only dawned on me later.it dawns on somebody that: · It slowly dawned on her that they were all making fun of her.it dawns on somebody how/why etc: · It didn't dawn on me how seriously injured I was until I got to the hospital. ► strike if an idea or thought strikes you, you suddenly realize something: it strikes somebody (that): · It struck her one day, when she was walking home from school, that she hadn't thought about her weight for over a month.· It just struck me - you must have been in the same class as my brother. ► hit if a fact hits you, you suddenly realize its importance or its full meaning and you feel shocked: · The full impact of what he'd said hit me a few hours later.it hits somebody: · Suddenly it hit me. He was trying to ask me to marry him. ► wake up to the fact that to begin to fully realize and understand something, especially after you have avoided thinking about it because it is unpleasant or it makes you feel uncomfortable: · How long will it be before people wake up to the fact that anyone can catch AIDS.· The speaker warned that we must "wake up to the fact that we are in a tough competitive market". ► it clicked spoken say this when you suddenly realize something that makes a subject or situation easy to understand: · Then it clicked. The man at the station must have been her brother!it clicked what/how/where etc: · Finally it clicked what all the fuss had been about. ► bring something home to to make someone realize how serious, difficult, or dangerous something is: · This is the last place you would expect there to be a murder. It just brings it home to you that this kind of thing can happen anywhere.· It often takes something like a heart attack to bring home to people the danger of smoking. to be correct in what you say or think► be right · You're right - there's not going to be enough food for everyone.be right about · Durrell is absolutely right about the importance of software to the local economy.be right about one thing (=say this when part of someone's opinion or what they say is right, but the rest is wrong) · It's not a great album, but Samuels was right about one thing: it's going to sell in the millions.be right in saying/thinking etc · Moore is right in saying that the present tax system is unfair. ► get something right to say the correct facts or details when you are telling a story, describing an event etc: · Make sure you get people's names right when you're sending out the invitations.· "I learned," he stopped, wanting to get the words right, "I learned I was selfish." ► be correct in saying/thinking etc if someone is correct in saying or thinking a particular fact, the fact is correct, especially when they are not sure if it is correct or not: · Monroe was correct in saying that unemployment has dropped in the last five years.· I believe I am correct in saying that two of the original computer languages were Cobol and Prolog.· The jury was correct in thinking that the prosecution had not presented a strong case. ► be on the right track to not yet know the complete answer to a question or problem, but be close to finding it because you are already partly correct: · No, that's not quite right, but you're on the right track.· Researchers are still a long way from finding a cure for the disease, but many seem confident they are on the right track. ► hit the nail on the head/put your finger on it to say something that is exactly right and that is the answer to a problem which people have been thinking about for a long time: · Garson hits the nail on the head - at the heart of the abortion debate is a religious issue.· Wyman put his finger on it when he said the truth was complicated. ► be spot on British informal to be exactly right, especially by guessing correctly: · "Is the answer 42?" "You're spot on! Well done, Mary." ► infallible someone or something that is infallible is always right and never makes mistakes - use this especially to say that this is not usually true or is extremely rare: · Computer spell checkers are useful but far from infallible.· Juries are not infallible. Innocent people are convicted, and guilty people go free. to get points in a game or sport► score to get points in a game, competition, or sport: · San Francisco scored twice in the last ten minutes of the game.score a point/goal: · Tottenham scored the first goal of the game.· In Scrabble you score points by making words on the board. ► get informal to score points in a game, competition, or sport: · When you get a total of 5 points it's your turn to throw the dice.· Stevens got only 10 goals in 41 games, and decided to leave the Boston Bruins. ► make especially American to score points in a game, competition, or sport: · Jordan made 34 points to put his team into the lead.· He ran 30 yards to make his second touchdown of the quarter. ► hit to get a point or points by hitting a ball etc: · The batter hit a home run.· Greg Davis didn't disappoint his teammates, hitting six field goals in six attempts. to shoot someone or something► shoot to kill or injure someone by firing bullets from a gun: · I was afraid they were going to shoot us.· Rico had been shot by a member of a rival gang.shoot somebody in the back/chest/leg etc: · He had been shot in the chest but managed to crawl to safety.shoot somebody dead: · A tourist was shot dead by muggers in New Orleans last night. ► shoot down to shoot an aircraft so that it falls from the sky: shoot something down: · Local militiamen shot down a federal army helicopter as it flew over the capital.shoot down something: · They said the plane had been on a spy mission and they were justified in shooting it down. ► be hit to be injured or damaged by bullets: · I didn't realize he'd been hit until he fell to the ground.· One of our planes has been hit.be hit in the chest/face etc: · He was hit in the arm by a sniper's bullet but carried on fighting. ► gun down to shoot someone, especially someone who cannot defend themselves, so that they are killed or badly injured: gun down somebody: · The bank robbers gunned down two employees who tried to stop them getting away.gun somebody down: · Two men dragged him out of his home, and gunned him down in the street. ► pick off to shoot people or animals one by one from a distance: pick off somebody: · Jesse hid behind a rock and picked off the sheriff's men one by one as they rode past.pick somebody off: · Our rifles were much more powerful and we were able to pick the enemy off before they could even fire at us. to get into your bed in order to sleep► go to bed · Do you want to go to bed, or watch the movie?· Mom, do I have to go to bed right now?· She had planned to go to bed early that night, but a friend stopped by to see her.go to bed at · I went to bed at nine last night, and I'm still tired.go straight to bed (=go to bed very shortly after doing something else) · Marianne took a shower and went straight to bed. ► be in bed to be lying in your bed in order to go to sleep: · Sorry, were you in bed? I thought it might be too late to call you.· I'm usually in bed by 10.30 on weekdays.· You were supposed to be in bed by now! ► bedtime the time when you go to bed in order to sleep: · It's late -- it must be nearly bedtime.· Lucy, 7.30 is bedtime, you know that.· This medicine should be taken at bedtime and first thing in the morning.my/your/his etc bedtime (=the time when you usually go to bed): · Isn't it your bedtime?past (your/his etc) bedtime (=after the time when you normally go to bed): · It's past my bedtime -- I really must get some sleep. ► turn in informal to go to bed after you have been doing something such as talking with other people or working for a long time: · Come on you guys, it's time to turn in.· I'm going to have to turn in. I'm not used to these late nights. ► hit the sack also hit the hay informal to go to bed when it is very late or you are very tired: · Usually I come home, eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then hit the sack by 9:30 or 10:00.· I'm bushed. I think I'll hit the hay. ► retire formal or written to go to bed: · The captain retired at ten o'clock with a glass of whisky.retire to bed: · Mary Ellen always had to set the fire for the next morning before retiring to bed. to start a journey► set off/set out to start a long journey or start going somewhere, especially if your journey has been planned or has a special purpose: · What time do you have to set off in the morning?· We had meant to set out before lunch but nobody was ready to leave.set off/set out towards/along/in the direction of etc: · Packing herself a couple of sandwiches, she set off along the cliff path.· The weather had been fine on the morning that the climbers set out up the last part of the mountain.set off/set out for: · My mother was only twenty when she married my father and set off for Addis Ababa.set off/set out from: · The Royal Navy set out from Portsmouth on July 13th.set off/set out to do: · Columbus set out to discover America in the fifteenth century. ► start for to start a journey to a particular place: · When are you starting for Seattle?· It was already dark by the time we started for home. ► start off to start moving away from a place where you have been, especially if you are driving a car, riding a bicycle etc: · Before starting off you should check that your seat and mirrors are properly adjusted.start off along/towards/down etc: · The riders got back on their horses and started off along the track again. ► hit the road informal to start a journey: · It's time we hit the road.· The group will be hitting the road again in the new year, in order to promote their new album. ► get going informal to start a journey or start going somewhere, especially when you are late or when there has been a delay: · Let's get going now or we'll miss the train.· The coach was supposed to leave at 10:30 but we eventually got going at 3 o'clock.· Get going, you two! Didn't you hear the school bell? worst► worst worse than anything else or worse than at any time before: · In my opinion, that's the worst movie of all time.· The doctor said it was one of the worst cases of food poisoning he'd ever seen.· UN workers were withdrawn from the western areas, where the worst bloodshed has occurred.by far the worst (=much worse than any other): · It's by far the worst neighborhood in the whole city.· First thing in the morning is by far the worst time to ask Dad a favour. ► hit/reach rock bottom if a situation hits or reaches rock bottom , it is worse than it has ever been before, and cannot get any worse than that: · After we lost the contract, morale in the office reached rock bottom.· Confidence in the city's police force has hit rock bottom. ► something takes the cake also something takes the biscuit British spoken informal use this to say that something is the worst of its kind - used especially in a humorous way: · I've known some idiots in my time, but you really take the cake. · This last little escapade really takes the biscuit, Tom. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► Hit ... hard  Hit the ball as hard as you can. ► badly hit  Our ship was badly hit and sank within minutes. ► hit ... target  The bomb failed to hit its target. ► be badly/severely/hard hit  The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence. ► the worst hit  The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession. ► hit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc  My father hit a bad patch, and had to sell the house. ► hit the ... mark  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. ► it hit ... that  It’s impossible to pinpoint a moment when it hit me that I was ‘a success’. ► knew what ... hit  He was gone before they knew what had hit them (=realized what had happened). ► hit town American English I’ll look for work as soon as I hit town. ► hit on the idea of  Then we hit on the idea of asking viewers to donate money over the Net. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a hit-and-run accident (=when someone is hit by a driver who does not stop)· A woman is fighting for her life after a hit-and-run accident. ► badly hit (=be badly affected)· Businesses have been badly hit by the economic slowdown. ► hit a ball · He swung the bat back and hit the ball hard. ► hit the big time  The 46-year-old author has finally hit the big time. ► hit the bottle (=regularly drink too much) She was under a lot of stress, and started hitting the bottle. ► a (huge) box office hit/success ► slam on/jam on/hit the brakes (=use them suddenly and with a lot of force)· The car in front stopped suddenly and I had to slam on the brakes. ► a bullet hits/strikes somebody · The first bullet hit him in the back. ► a car hits something/crashes into something · I saw the car leave the road and hit a tree. ► hit the charts (=enter the charts)· The group eventually hit the charts. ► a chart hit (=a song or album in the charts)· At last the band had got a chart hit. ► a hit-and-run driver (=in which a car driver hits someone and does not stop)· The boy was in hospital after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. ► an earthquake hits/strikes a place (=happens in a particular place)· The region was struck by a major earthquake last year. ► hit the headlines (=make the headlines)· Crane hit the headlines after she was arrested for the murder of her husband. ► hit-and-run driver ► hit ... home run  I didn’t think I could hit a home run. ► hit on an idea informal (=suddenly think of an idea)· Then we hit on the idea of renting a cottage. ► lightning hits/strikes something · The house had been hit by lightning. ► a hit list (=a list of people, organizations etc that someone wants to harm or stop) ► fall to/hit/reach etc a new low (=be worth less than ever before) The euro has fallen to a new low against the dollar. ► a hit movie (=a successful movie)· He has directed a string of hit movies. ► hit/strike oil (=to find oil when you are digging for it)· The engineers drilled down a few hundred metres until they hit oil.· The Ohio Oil Company struck oil on May 3rd. ► be hit by a recession (=be badly affected by it)· Rural areas have been hardest hit by the recession. ► a shot hits somebody/something · The shot hit the burglar in the chest and killed him instantly. ► hit/run into a snag  The grand opening hit a snag when no one could find the key. ► hit the stands  One week, three magazines hit the stands (=became available to buy) with Peace Corps stories. ► a storm hits/strikes (a place) · We should try to get home before the storm hits. ► reach/achieve/hit a target (=meet it)· They achieved their target with just days to spare. ► hit a target · Not every bomb hit its target. ► a wave hits somebody/something · He was hit by a wave of nausea every time he tried to stand up. ► a hit on a website (=an occasion when someone visits a website)· There have already been 5000 hits on our website. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► badly · 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.· The refrigeration industry will be the most badly hit.· The Tapies market was also badly hit.· So does Huddur - another badly hit town.· Motorists passing through Tewkesbury have been badly hit.· Traders in Ross have been particularly badly hit. ► hard · Many of the old takeover favourites were also hard hit as speculators moved to take their profits.· I hit hard at the inadequacies in housing in the city.· The bulb had obviously been hit hard soas to break its filament, to ensure no warning light came on.· But then the booze started hitting hard, and I got really scared.· Those farmers who compromise on safety must be hit hard, where it hurts - in the pocket.· Every sector of the technology group was hit hard today.· But properties were hit hard with Greycoat, Speyhawk and Stanhope losing ground.· As usual, some stocks were hit hard because they delivered dismal news. ► home · She could see that her remark had hit home.· His comment hit home for me, as both therapist and layperson.· Within hours, the reality of the situation had hit home.· By the early 1970s, this realization had already hit home.· His foot hit home, sinking deep into the little man's belly.· All of a sudden the hollowness of our triumph over nature hit home with striking effect.· And to go back to your start-up page hit Home.· Then her words seemed to hit home. NOUN► ball · O'Neill won the opener on the final ball but was then hit with breaks of 77, 60 and 56.· In 1883, a ball hit into that area was a double.· I feel very comfortable when the ball is hit to him.· Three Hoops stood over the ball and Larsson hit an unstoppable right-foot screamer into the top corner.· The ball hits her square in the face.· The ball carrier will no longer hit and drive.· I drove the ball as far and as straight as any ball I have ever hit in my life. ► bottom · At the time, I thought one had hit rock bottom.· Page has hit proverbial rock bottom and has become a walking skeleton living on the streets.· The 28-year-old mechanical engineer's fortunes took a dramatic twist midway through last season when his career hit rock bottom.· They say you have to hit bottom before things start looking up.· It really worries me what the impact could be in a few years when we hit the bottom of the business cycle. ► floor · Greenslade and I had hit the floor early.· If you smell smoke, hit the floor, and crawl to the nearest exit.· He was dead before his body hit the floor.· Colonels and privates hit the dirt floor as one!· All that hit the floor was a glossy leaflet inviting her to discover the magic of Christmas at the local hypermarket.· He heard Barnabas hit the study floor running, scattering a braided rug to kingdom come.· The last thing Ardamal heard as he raced down the corridor was the tinkle of metal parts hitting the floor.· Somebody snapped out the lights inside at the sound of those shots and everybody hit the floor. ► ground · As they hit the ground, she drove her fingers into his left eye.· The stream of vomit sailed through the air, and it seemed a long time before it hit the ground.· The aeroplane fell apart when it hit the ground.· When it hit the ground I knew it was a real animal.· My legs folded, both knees hit the ground, and I scrambled, in a rage, back on to the wheelbarrow.· The company also could shape a well-educated, flexible pool of employment candidates who could hit the ground running.· Another boy is hitting the ground with a pickaxe, while a third is holding on to some blue plastic sheeting.· It was a great day to pass out: You never would have hit the ground. ► headline · Not long afterwards the Dams Raid took place, and this did hit the headlines and captured the imagination of the public.· Their problems all hit the headlines.· Only a life-or-death issue such as a liver or heart will hit the headlines.· Pundits' predictions of repossessions topping 80,000 during 1991 hit the headlines.· Institutions that hit the headlines with accounts paying top-flight rates might also have a few skeletons in the cupboard.· Ride a big winner, hit the headlines - that's racing.· He will not hit the headlines, but he will receive the gratitude of patients and nurses.· But what will actually be done about traffic Sir - Once again the traffic issue hits the headlines. ► high · It was only a month ago that the index hit a post crash high of 2,423.9.· With the right company, certainly the stock should hit new highs with the next bull market.· Johannesburg hit a record high, ending 0.2% up.· Datatec's share price had a rollercoaster ride last year, it hit a high of R146 in March.· The contract hit a high of 101. 23 earlier.· Lead experienced the biggest swing, hitting a ten-year high of £800 a tonne in March.· The shares hit a high of $ 36. 75 last year. ► jackpot · Vernon hits the jackpot Cardiff 2, Bath 3.· People who hit a $ 50 jackpot likely have found their favorite spot.· The 1987 Sunflowers tour hit the jackpot.· On lottery day, Boston Marathon officials discovered they had hit the jackpot.· He felt as if he'd hit the jackpot.· And six days later she hit the jackpot ... when Bonnie paid back the cash.· This time, though, they hit the jackpot with number 3 from Richard Jones.· But they'd had a thorough look through his life just to be sure and hit the jackpot entirely by chance. ► mark · In any book of several hundred pages you're bound to hit the mark occasionally.· The first time I saw him hit from the farthest mark, I cheered.· Had the muddy weed really hit its mark?· If one of us hits the half-century mark, we all do.· Today I have to hit as many marks as possible, and Dixie can find them fast.· Not every story hits the mark.· It took five years for revenue to hit the £1 million mark.· About half hit the comic mark. ► market · PhotoFinish was well received when it first hit the market under a year ago.· Multimedia keyboards go a step beyond the ergonomically designed keyboards that hit the market a couple of years ago.· Mr Smith must learn that hitting the pay packet hits the housing market, and that hits the institutions.· Today, just a few years after musical compact discs hit the mass market, the long box is history.· A system called DigiBox is expected to hit the market soon.· Once those properties hit the market, their true value will be found out.· More painful still, 16-megabit chips will hit the market at only nine times the price of existing 4-megabit DRAMs.· But a new demographic product hitting the market could take the revolution a step further. ► peak · Worst affected will be those who upped borrowings when miners' earnings hit a peak in the early 80s.· It is one of several hormones that hit peak levels in the bloodstream in early adulthood and then decline steadily.· It hit a peak on 20 October with 16,188 barrels, the highest daily figure recorded since production started in 1987.· Terfel hits the peaks early and never falters.· The blade hit the peak of the man's cloth-covered helmet, ringing his ears like the knell of doom.· Since futures prices hit their peak, they have fallen by 54 percent, to around $ 1. 08 a pound.· Printer and software sales also hit a peak. ► recession · It should also drum up more work for a profession that has been badly hit by the recession.· Background: The New York area was hit hard by the recession, but pent-up demand is pushing up prices.· But those images are becoming harder and harder to stomach in a world hit by recession.· Reverend Sawyer says like everything else, his church is being hit by the recession.· And not surprisingly, the motorists hardest hit by recession are those living in London and the south-east.· The Automobile Industry is among the hardest hit by the recession.· The South-East and West Midlands have been hardest hit by the recession.· She says rural areas have been hard hit by the recession. ► road · Gina Coulstock, 18, stumbled, fell heavily and was knocked out when she hit the road.· Travelers will find it more comfortable and interesting to hit the road this year.· So next time you hit the road make sure it doesn't hit back.· Time to hit the road again.· Doogie allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction as Shifty-Eyes hit the road, then he turned and grabbed Pointy-Beard's tie.· We packed up and hit the road.· I slowed for the roundabout but still managed to hit the motorway slip road at fifty-five.· Once we hit the road out of town, a sign suddenly announced the concert. ► rock · At the time, I thought one had hit rock bottom.· Demonstrators smashed in the face, hit with rocks.· The 28-year-old mechanical engineer's fortunes took a dramatic twist midway through last season when his career hit rock bottom.· A 5.4-magnitude earthquake hits southern Oregon, killing a motorist whose pickup was hit by falling rock.· Hello! has won a reputation as heralding disaster by featuring families apparently in bliss just before they hit the rocks.· The one guy drop-kicked him and another guy hit him with a rock.· It was immediately answered by another shot, which hit a rock behind him. ► roof · Two shells hit the roof and one exploded in the corridor during the night.· Top editors hit the roof Maybe one picture, but a page full of pictures of black women?· He hit the roof when the pair left to set up home in a bedsit.· The shell hit the roof of the building and made a mess of the inside of the building.· He hit the roof as soon as Peter came in.· What would Old Chao do if he saw them, hit the roof on his way into outer space?· Its hitting the roof so soon had stopped the process.· Well, honey, I hit the roof. ► spot · The cognac was not quite up to Skipton's fine Napoleonic standards, but it hit the spot with unerring accuracy.· It is one reason why the Clippers seem to hit a dry spot offensively in most games.· She looked thoroughly sophisticated, the type to want to hit the night spots.· Remember when Wilkinson hit that rough spot in the board meeting?· A young teenage girl often becomes hypercritical of her mum-and knows exactly how to hit her weak spots.· Finally, doctors hit the right spot, and the sound of angry hornets filled the operating room.· It just hit the right spot.· So why does it shock us and shake us so badly when we hit a tough spot? ► street · Equipped with such information, I decided it was time to hit the streets.· We bounced over the railroad tracks in Fresno and hit the wild streets of Fresno Mextown.· With its packages yet to hit the street, Clarify figures its technology will cop the leadership position.· But after the officer leaves, Michael grabs his sleeping bag and hits the streets.· The service is currently in beta testing and should hit the streets in the first quarter of next year.· Miguel left, shivering when he hit the street.· When the idea hit the streets, we at Guitarist were unanimous in wanting to throw our weight behind the project.· Laid-off workers are hitting the streets. ► target · Leonard's workrate overall produced 438 punches, of which just over half hit the target.· Last year, Trent noted, one-third of the cancer drugs approved hit specific targets.· The Lancasters had to drop the bouncing bomb from precisely sixty feet to hit their target.· The large drops leave the spray behind and pass on to hit the target.· The Horde have been, are and can be inspirational but don't always hit the target here.· My man, the bag, was hit in each target location twice.· Although of limited accuracy by modern standards, the Scuds were reasonably successful at hitting large targets such as urban settlements.· A pistol like this can hit somewhere near its target. ► trail · Sefton hit the cup trail tomorrow with a home tie against Metrovick in the Provincial Trophy third round.· Tyros get kick-started by taking shoeless jaunts around their house, back yard and neighborhood before hitting the trail.· Tornado alerts were broadcast throughout the afternoon but the crowds still hit the pilgrimage trail to the Arkansas capital.· Those who hit the trail, and those who build the homestead. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► hit the road/trail Doogie allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction as Shifty-Eyes hit the road, then he turned and grabbed Pointy-Beard's tie. Gina Coulstock, 18, stumbled, fell heavily and was knocked out when she hit the road. Read in studio Well it's time now to hit the road with the London Sydney car marathon. So next time you hit the road make sure it doesn't hit back. Time to hit the road again. Travelers will find it more comfortable and interesting to hit the road this year. Tyros get kick-started by taking shoeless jaunts around their house, back yard and neighborhood before hitting the trail. We packed up and hit the road. ► hit the shops/streets But after the officer leaves, Michael grabs his sleeping bag and hits the streets. Equipped with such information, I decided it was time to hit the streets. Laid-off workers are hitting the streets. Meanwhile, his book, Black Coffee Blues, is due to hit the shops in mid-December. She told me to hit the streets with the canvas bag and start ringing doorbells the instant school was out next day. The newspaper has had $ 29 million in losses since it hit the streets on Jan. 10, 1994. The service is currently in beta testing and should hit the streets in the first quarter of next year. When the idea hit the streets, we at Guitarist were unanimous in wanting to throw our weight behind the project. ► hit the headlines Institutions that hit the headlines with accounts paying top-flight rates might also have a few skeletons in the cupboard. It's the E.coli 0157 strain that often hits the headlines. Not long afterwards the Dams Raid took place, and this did hit the headlines and captured the imagination of the public. Only a life-or-death issue such as a liver or heart will hit the headlines. Pundits' predictions of repossessions topping 80,000 during 1991 hit the headlines. The village hit the headlines, however, in a tragic way when an accident and fire happened on 13 October 1928. Their problems all hit the headlines. They hit the headlines last year when Richard left his first wife, Caroline, a housemaid with Princess Diana. ► hit the bottle His 1954 marriage to Born Free star Virginia McKenna broke up and he hit the bottle. Instead he hit the bottle and blamed her for it. ► hit the dirt/the deck► hit a (brick) wall A man and his woman pillion passenger died instantly when they lost control of the machine and hit a wall. But by the mid-1970s, his career apparently hit a wall. But then Sumlin came on and hit a wall. He hit a wall hard enough to briefly ignite a magnesium wheel, but refused to slow down. He died because his car hit a wall. In these sessions, men generally will talk about the conflicts between job and family, but then hit a wall. Must rising wages and expanding production hit a brick wall, leading to layoffs and falling output? Now she has hit a brick wall and has written to me to highlight the problem. ► hit the buffers/skids But when it came to dealing with Railfreight, he said, his ideas hit the buffers. ► hit somebody when they are down► hit somebody where it hurts Instead of locking up drug offenders, hit them where it really hurts - in the wallet. Tax day hits him hard, hits him where it hurts the most. ► hit it off (with somebody) Ally's jealous that Matt and Ceara hit it off. Billie had joined Lily and they had obviously hit it off. Glad you and Edward have hit it off. I think, in the end, they just didn't hit it off. If two gardeners hit it off, they can go private through electronic messages in a sort of letter-writing setup. Knowing both of them, I knew they would hit it off when they got to know one another better. She and I hit it off immediately. They hit it off from the first. They ended up in the same case study group and hit it off immediately. ► hit the big time But his interest in the farm grew, even after he hit the big time. I know he talked to her about what it was like before Jett hit the big time. Sandier hits the big time as the loveable three killer sharks to increase their brain mass. Still, even session men can hit the big time. ► hit the ground running If we can hit the ground running, we'll stay ahead of the competition. Graduates of law school hit the ground running, you see, as soon as they enter practice. He said his Navy experience prepared him to jump into new jobs in new places and hit the ground running. The company also could shape a well-educated, flexible pool of employment candidates who could hit the ground running. The pressures to perform were immense and their careers were on the line: They expect me to hit the ground running. They either hit the ground running, or the ground hits them standing still. ► hit the jackpot He really hit the jackpot when he married Cindy. And six days later she hit the jackpot ... when Bonnie paid back the cash. But they'd had a thorough look through his life just to be sure and hit the jackpot entirely by chance. He felt as if he'd hit the jackpot. It could be that Grätzel's attempts to harness cheap solar energy may finally have hit the jackpot. On lottery day, Boston Marathon officials discovered they had hit the jackpot. The 1987 Sunflowers tour hit the jackpot. This time, though, they hit the jackpot with number 3 from Richard Jones. Vernon hits the jackpot Cardiff 2, Bath 3. ► hit the nail on the head If Jack had been trying to find a way to impress Polly he had hit the nail on the head. My friend, you have hit the nail on the head. She might dislike Piers Morrison, but he had a knack of hitting the nail on the head. ► hit home All of a sudden the hollowness of our triumph over nature hit home with striking effect. By the early 1970s, this realization had already hit home. His comment hit home for me, as both therapist and layperson. His foot hit home, sinking deep into the little man's belly. I hit home at a Liverpool city centre newsagent. It should hit home to people to take precautions. They spend much of the book showing how various companies have used them to hit home runs or strike out. Within hours, the reality of the situation had hit home. ► hit the spot A cold beer sure would hit the spot. The cognac was not quite up to Skipton's fine Napoleonic standards, but it hit the spot with unerring accuracy. ► hit the roof/ceiling He hit the roof when the pair left to set up home in a bedsit. One tankard hit the ceiling, another broke a window. The shell hit the roof of the building and made a mess of the inside of the building. The turbulence was such that his head hit the ceiling and his headset came off and fell to the floor. Then, he proceeded to hit the ceiling. Top editors hit the roof Maybe one picture, but a page full of pictures of black women? Two shells hit the roof and one exploded in the corridor during the night. What would Old Chao do if he saw them, hit the roof on his way into outer space? ► hit the sack I'm bushed. I think I'll hit the hay. I'm ready to hit the sack. Usually I come home, eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then hit the sack by 9:30 or 10:00. Then the two cups of decaff before you hit the sack. When they do, they hit the sack for marathon love-making sessions - that's once Bill's made the bed! Your husband needs to relax before he hits the sack. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be at/hit/reach rock bottom By four o'clock Melissa's spirits were at rock bottom. ► run into/hit the buffers► chart-topping record/group/hit etc► direct hit One bomb scored a direct hit on the aircraft carrier. 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. He was killed instantly, a direct hit. I lay under my cot and prayed that our hooch would not take a direct hit with a rocket. It was in a dance hall, a direct hit. The bomb had been a direct hit and only the last few dwellings had still been standing afterwards. The next one was a direct hit, and the whole ceiling did come down. With a beautiful clean throw Trondur made a direct hit. ► be hard hit/be hit hard► haul off and hit/punch/kick somebody► hit the hay► as soon as your head hits the pillow► the hit parade► hit/drive/hammer etc something home► hit/strike home The reality of the war didn't hit home until someone from the neighborhood was killed. All of a sudden the hollowness of our triumph over nature hit home with striking effect. And to go back to your start-up page hit Home. By the early 1970s, this realization had already hit home. His comment hit home for me, as both therapist and layperson. It must have struck home in some way. She could see that her remark had hit home. They spend much of the book showing how various companies have used them to hit home runs or strike out. Within hours, the reality of the situation had hit home. ► not know what hit you► kick/hit a man when he’s down► hit/miss the mark All too often, national political coverage misses the mark. As a welfare program, the minimum wage misses the mark because it worsens the status of the most disadvantaged youths. But the show missed the mark on other aspects of police work, the group said. In any book of several hundred pages you're bound to hit the mark occasionally. In your recent coverage of Novell's letter of intent to purchase Unix System Laboratories you've really missed the mark. The movie itself simply misses the mark. The umpires green-flagged the crash but penalised Stripes for hitting the mark, effectively giving Kanza the race. Words don't always hit the mark, do they? ► hit the mother lode► touch/hit a (raw) nerve I had finally touched a nerve. Our article touched a raw nerve. Q: Why has that era hit a nerve with people now? The charge has hit a nerve, persuading the company to earmark 265 Levantine buildings for special restoration. The subject of hawkers had touched a raw nerve. The theatrical farce touches a nerve. The wide current appeal of such music seems to touch a nerve of communal masochism. They also touched a nerve of public anxiety. ► hit/strike the right/wrong note He reworked everything he wrote until he had hit the right note of Gailic pedantry. So are buskers in Gloucester striking the right note with their audience? That would have the merit of simplicity, but would it strike the right note socially? ► pound/hit the pavement For months, Garcia pounded the pavement for jobs. And if my next fifteen years are spent pounding the pavement in search of a job without a handset in it - too bad. He turned and saw a lithe figure in a track suit pounding the pavement towards him. I wrenched the wheel round in a tight turn, hitting the pavement as I went. It began to rain when she was half way along Gloucester Road, big spots like buttons hitting the pavement. Or pull out your own wheels and hit the pavement. The brown paper bag tied with white string hit the pavement, split and corn went all over the place. When he's not on the track competing, you will find Paul out pounding the pavements. ► hit/strike paydirt► touch/hit a raw nerve Our article touched a raw nerve. The subject of hawkers had touched a raw nerve. ► hit/reach rock bottom After we lost the contract, morale in the office reached rock bottom. Confidence in the city's police force has hit rock bottom. Joan Rivers reveals how she hit rock bottom and recovered in her autobiography. As a result, hotel values hit rock bottom in 1992. At the time, I thought one had hit rock bottom. But this time he does seem to have hit rock bottom. Ogmore to Barry beach sport hit rock bottom. The 28-year-old mechanical engineer's fortunes took a dramatic twist midway through last season when his career hit rock bottom. ► hit the sack Then the two cups of decaff before you hit the sack. When they do, they hit the sack for marathon love-making sessions - that's once Bill's made the bed! Your husband needs to relax before he hits the sack. ► the shit hits the fan The shit really hit the fan when Andy saw the phone bill. ► knock/hit somebody for six He'd done it again, she realised in amazement - with just a few choice words he'd knocked her for six. ► hit somebody like a ton of bricks The news of her accident hit me like a ton of bricks. ► hit the wall During the 1982 recession, the deepest since the Depression, state governments began to hit the wall. Each time the ball hits the wall a brick disappears and you're closer to your aim of breaking down the wall. He expected to hit the wall of the cliff somewhere up ahead. I miss and hit the wall. It gathers speed, and suddenly hits the wall by the foot of the bed. It hit the wall four feet below him. It hit the wall near the window and smashed. Witnesses swear that as fast as the line drive hit the wall, Rivera was rounding second before it touched the ground. 1touch 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.2crash 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.3hurt 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.4sport [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.5press [transitive] informal to press a part in a machine, car, etc to make it work:  Maria hit the brakes just in time.6attack [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.7affect badly [intransitive, 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.8have problems [transitive] to experience trouble, problems etchit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc My father hit a bad patch, and had to sell the house.9reach 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.10realize [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).11smell/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.12arrive [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.13hit the road/trail informal to begin a journey14hit 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.15hit the headlines to be reported widely on television, in newspapers etc:  The couple hit the headlines last year when their relationship broke down.16hit the bottle informal to start drinking too much alcohol regularly:  After his marriage failed, he hit the bottle big time.17hit the dirt/the deck informal to fall to the ground in order to avoid something dangerous:  My first instinct was to hit the dirt.18hit a (brick) wall informal to suddenly not be able to make any progress:  I felt I’d hit a wall with my playing.19hit 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.20hit somebody when they are down informal to upset or harm someone when they are already defeated21hit 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!22hit 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.23hit 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.24hit the ground running to start doing something successfully without any delay:  Law graduates are expected to hit the ground running.25hit 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.26hit 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.27hit 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 at28 hit the spot informal to have exactly the good effect that you wanted, especially when you are hungry or thirsty29hit the roof/ceiling informal to be very angry:  Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.30hit 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 paydirtTHESAURUSto hit someonehit 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 somethinghit: · 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 accidentallyhit: · 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  retaliatehit 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 verb1 (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 informal1to tell someone something interesting, exciting, or shocking:  The next morning, Steve hit me with the truth.2American 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. hit1 verbhit2 noun hithit2 ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable] Entry menu MENU FOR hithit1 successful2 hit something3 computer4 take a hit Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES "Titanic" was a big hit all over the world. a new hit single from Janet Jackson an album of the Beatles' greatest hits Our site had 2000 hits in the first month. The official World Cup web-site scored a record number of hits last week. When I first heard the song I knew it would be a hit. You may get thousands of hits that are irrelevant to your question. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS But the decision seems to be a hit with the scouts. It lasted longer and that, a better hit. Still, it was a shock when Vee-Jay filed for bankruptcy in 1965, while it was still turning out hits. The tuna tartare with chopped avocado, the clam chowder with smoked bacon and the giant Louisiana prawns were all a hit. They absorb these losses either by taking the hit themselves or by paying insurance premiums that are roughly equal to those losses. This time Dennis claimed hits on a destroyer while Osborne inflicted damage on a supply ship. Thesaurus Longman Language Activatorto hit someone deliberately► hit to hit someone with your hand or with something that you are holding in your hand: · Dad! Peter keeps hitting me!hit with: · The victim had been hit with a baseball bat.hit somebody on the nose/in the stomach/over the head etc: · There was a fight, and someone had hit him over the head with a chair.hit somebody hard (=with a lot of force): · He hit him hard in the stomach.hit somebody back (=to hit someone when they have hit you): · Don't hit him, he'll only hit you back. ► punch also slug informal to hit someone hard with your closed hand, especially in a fight or because you are angry: · The woman claimed that she had been punched and kicked by one of the policemen.· The actor slugged a photographer who got too close.punch somebody on the nose/in the eye/in the chest etc: · Dean punched her in the ribs and pushed her against the wall. ► slap to hit someone, especially on their face, with the flat part of your open hand: · I was so angry I wanted to slap him.slap somebody across the face: · She slapped him across the face and stormed out of the room.slap somebody's face: · Dora slapped his face and ran home. ► strike formal to hit someone, especially on a particular part of their body: · Her husband had never struck her before.strike with: · Evidence shows that the victim had been struck several times with an iron bar.strike somebody on the head/in the stomach etc: · The court heard that the defendant had struck Payne repeatedly in the face, causing serious bruising. ► throw a punch to hit or try to hit someone very hard with a closed hand in a fight: · Rogers threw a punch at Martin.· Foreman, once the World Heavyweight Champion, says 'I never throw a punch in anger.' ► whack informal to hit someone hard, with your hand or with an object: · If he said anything like that to me, I'd whack him! ► thump informal to hit someone very hard with your closed hand, especially on their body rather than on their face or head: · Mike thumped Stephanie's back several times to stop her choking. ► bash spoken to hit someone hard, especially in a fight: bash somebody's head/face/teeth etc in: · I told him I'd bash his head in if he ever touched her again. ► clobber spoken to hit someone very hard, either with your hand or with a hard object: · The kids are bored, and have nothing to do but clobber each other. to hit someone repeatedly► beat to hit someone hard and repeatedly with your hand or with something such as a stick: · It was clear that she had been badly beaten by her husband.beat with: · Police officers had beaten the man with their batons.beat somebody black and blue (=beat someone so hard that their body is covered in marks): · The child had been beaten black and blue.beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard and violently): · Osborne wanted to beat the living daylights out of Flanagan. ► beat up to hit someone hard and repeatedly all over their body, leaving them badly hurt and often unable to move: · He would come home drunk, get into a fight with Mom, and beat her up.· Carl got beaten up outside a nightclub on Saturday night. ► batter to repeatedly hit someone in an uncontrolled and violent way: · Teachers suspect that the child is being battered regularly by his parents.batter with: · There were reports of soldiers battering prisoners with their rifles.batter somebody to death (=until they are dead): · The jury heard how Thompson had been maddened by what he saw and battered his wife to death. ► beat up on American to repeatedly hit someone weaker than yourself, for example a younger child at school: · He was a bully, a mean kid who beat up on the other kids. ► knock somebody about British /knock somebody around American to hit someone several times, especially in order to frighten them: · My father used to knock my mother about when he was drunk.· They had been threatened with a gun, pushed, shoved, and knocked around. ► club to hit someone very hard, especially on the head with a thick heavy object: · Football fans were clubbed by riot police trying to stop the violence.club somebody to death (=until they are dead): · Baby seals are clubbed to death for their fur. a car/train/plane etc hits something► hit · The bus hit a tree and the driver was badly injured.· He pulled out of the driveway without looking, and almost hit another car.· Five sailors were killed when their ship hit a mine.hit something head-on (=directly) · The driver of a Ford van lost control and hit another car head-on. ► run into to hit something that is directly in front of you with your vehicle, especially because you are not paying attention: · I turned too sharply and ran into the curb.· We almost ran into a Rolls-Royce that pulled out in front of us without signalling. ► run over to hit and injure a person or animal while driving a vehicle: run over somebody/run somebody over: · How can you run over a child and not stop?be run over by something: · The boy's dog had been run over by a car.get run over: · Make sure the lights on your bike are working. I don't want you getting run over. ► crash/smash into to hit something or someone very hard while you are driving a vehicle, making a lot of noise and causing damage: · The driver lost control on a curve and crashed into a tree.· An airplane had crashed into a mountain, killing all two hundred passengers.go crashing into something: · The car skidded, then went crashing into the bus shelter.· An army helicopter smashed into the side of the mountain. ► ram/slam into to hit something or someone very hard while you are moving in a vehicle, especially when what you hit is not moving: · The driver had been drinking when he rammed into a car waiting at a red light.· Some idiot slammed into me from behind. ► plough into British /plow into American to hit a large number of vehicles or people with a vehicle, especially as a result of driving too fast, not paying attention etc: · The car went out of control and ploughed into a group of people on the sidewalk.· When the driver fell asleep, the bus ploughed into a line of traffic. ► collide if two vehicles collide , they hit each other when they are moving in opposite directions: · Four or five cars had collided in the fog.collide with: · The transport helicopter he was in collided with another and crashed. ► ram to deliberately hit another vehicle very hard, especially when it is not moving: · The ship had been rammed by a submarine. ► go into British informal to hit something or someone with a vehicle: · Someone went into the back of my bike at the traffic lights. to hit someone or something accidentally► hit · Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it.· There's a chip on the windshield where a stone hit it.hit somebody on the head/knee etc · The ball hit me in the face.hit your head/knee/elbow etc · The ceiling's very low. Mind you don't hit your head.hit something on/against something · I hit my elbow on the corner of that table.get hit · He ran out into the road and almost got hit.· Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired. ► bump into if you bump into something or someone, you hit them with part of your body accidentally when you are walking or running somewhere: · Jim turned suddenly and bumped into me.· The room was dark, and I bumped into the door . ► bump to accidentally and suddenly hit part of your body against something: bump your head/elbow/knee etc: · Babies are always bumping their heads.bump against: · His right leg bumped against the parking brake. ► strike formal if something, especially a heavy object, strikes something or someone, it hits them hard once: · A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.· The ball struck him in the face. ► crash into to hit someone or something extremely hard, especially while moving very fast: · Tyler injured his shoulder when he crashed into Jesse Lyons during practice.· Parts of the satellite crashed into the sea.go crashing into somebody/something: · He stopped suddenly, and I went crashing into him.· Glasses and bottles went crashing to the floor. ► knock to hit someone or something with a short quick movement: · She knocked me with her elbow as she passed.knock against: · The heavy video camera knocked against his hip as he walked.knock into: · She turned and ran, knocking into bystanders as she went.knock something against/into something: · One of the movers knocked the sofa against a doorway. ► bang/bash to hit someone or something hard, often making a noise and hurting someone or damaging something: bang your head/knee/elbow etc: · I banged my head getting into the car.bang something into/against/on etc something: · Tom bashed his knee against the table.· He slipped, banging his guitar against the door.bang/bash into/against: · Kids raced around the playground, banging into each other, screaming, and letting off steam. ► collide if two people or things collide , they accidentally hit each other when they are moving in different directions: · Barker and Mason collided while going for the ball.· When the plates of land that form the earth collide or slide past each other, earthquakes result.collide with: · I backed out of the door and promptly collided with someone. 'I'm sorry,' I said. ► crack to hit your head, knee, elbow etc hard and painfully against something: crack something on/against something: · He slipped and cracked his head on the steps.· Mary cracked her knee on the corner of her desk. to hit someone as a punishment► beat to repeatedly hit someone with your hand, with a stick etc as a punishment: · The guards used to regularly beat the prisoners.· Teachers are no longer allowed to beat students who misbehave.beat with: · Slaves were sometimes beaten with sticks or even whipped. ► spank to hit someone repeatedly, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand, on their bottom: · The two boys were spanked and sent to bed without their supper.· Many parents no longer spank their kids as a form of discipline. ► smack/slap also swat American to hit someone, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand on their hand, the backs of their legs, their face etc: · If you don't stop that, I'll smack you!· Slap her hand lightly when she touches something she shouldn't.· He grinned and I wanted to swat him, but he wasn't my son so I didn't. ► give somebody a beating to hit someone violently and repeatedly with something such as a stick, in order to punish them: · The guards gave the prisoner a beating.give somebody a good/sound beating: · His father took him into the barn and gave him a good beating. ► whip/flog to hit someone very hard with a rope, whip etc especially on their back in order to punish them: · The hostage had terrible scars on his back where he had been whipped.· What kind of a society flogs women simply for saying what they think? ► corporal punishment the practice of punishing people, especially children at school, by hitting them with something such as a stick: · In my first year at Hendon School, I had my first taste of corporal punishment.· Corporal punishment is, thankfully, no longer used. to hit someone in a friendly way etc► slap/clap somebody on the back to hit someone on the back with the flat part of your hand, for example as a friendly greeting or in order to praise them: · "How are you? I haven't seen you for ages," she said, slapping Jim on the back.· The coach said "Well done!'' and clapped each player on the back as they entered the changing room. ► pat to gently hit someone, usually on their back, shoulder, or head, in order to praise them or show them that you like them: · Roz reached over and patted her hand.· He got up, patted her on the shoulder, and gave her a quick kiss. to make someone or something fall down by hitting them► knock out to hit someone so hard that they fall down and become unconscious: knock somebody out: · Jackson hit Brian hard with his left fist and knocked him out.knock out somebody: · He is a good boxer, a powerful puncher who has knocked out 18 of his 20 opponents to date.knock somebody out cold (=so that they become completely unconscious): · The blow to Sergeant Lewis' head had knocked him out cold. ► punch out American to hit someone with your closed hand, so hard that they become unconscious: punch somebody out: · I got so mad I just wanted to punch someone out.punch somebody out: · The coach threw him off the team after he punched out a teammate. ► knock down/over to hit someone or something and make them fall onto the ground - use this about people or objects hitting someone or something: knock somebody/something down/over: · Jo was almost knocked down by a kid on a bicycle.· One boy crashed into him and knocked him over.knock over somebody/something: · There was a crash as the cat knocked over something in the kitchen.get knocked down/over: · As the crowd rushed towards the gate, several people got knocked over. ► knock off to hit something so that it falls off a surface: knock off something/knock something off: · Part of the puzzle had been knocked off onto the floor.knock something off something: · Ellie accidentally knocked a cup of milk off the table. to hit an object/door/table etc with something► hit · You have to try to hit the ball over the net.· The first time I tried archery, I couldn't even hit the target. ► knock to hit a door or window, especially with your closed hand, in order to attract the attention of the people inside: · Would you mind knocking before you come in?· I waited a moment, then knocked again.knock on/at: · Lula knocked at the back door and he appeared, dressed in pyjamas.· 'Mattie?' called Jerry, knocking on the door. ► tap to hit something gently so that it makes a light noise, especially in order to get someone's attention: · Daley read the notes, tapping a pencil on the desk.tap on/at: · She tapped on the window to attract his attention. ► bang to hit a door, table etc very hard with your hand or with an object, in order to attract attention or because you are angry: · Thomas banged his fist on the table.bang on/at: · I banged at the door but nobody came.· He complained loudly until Val finally banged on the table and shouted at him.bang something shut: · Sherman banged the door shut. ► rap to hit something loudly and very quickly several times in order to attract attention: · The conductor rapped the music stand with his baton and the violins stopped playing.rap on/at: · Seeing her son outside, Mrs Evans rapped on the window and called him back into the house. ► strike formal to hit something hard, especially in a very controlled or skilful way: · Morris struck his drum, and the band started to march down the street.· In anger, he struck the wall with a stick. ► bash also give something a bash British informal to hit something hard with your hand or with a stick, hammer etc especially in a careless way: · If the television stops working, just bash it a couple of times -- that usually helps.· I put the box on the floor and gave it a good bash with my hammer, but it still wouldn't open. ► whack to hit something hard and noisily, especially using a flat object: · Buckley whacked the ball into left field.· The Georgia man whacked his fist on the bar. ► hammer to keep hitting something very loudly and quickly especially with your closed hand, because you are angry, impatient etc: hammer on/at/against: · The children hammered at the door to be let in out of the rain.· Her heart hammered against her ribs. to hit an object or surface and move away again► bounce off to move a long way away from a surface or object after hitting it hard: bounce off something: · The game of squash is played by hitting a ball that bounces off a wall.bounce something off something: · The device works by bouncing sound waves off objects and measuring the time it takes for the sound to return. ► rebound to hit something and then move away again: · Summers caught the ball as it hit the wall and rebounded.rebound off: · Electrons move around quickly, hitting and then rebounding off each other. ► glance off if something glances off an object that it hits, it hits the surface at an angle and then moves away from it in another direction: · A shot by Best glanced off the rim of the basket. ► ricochet if a bullet ricochets , it hits an object and moves away from it very quickly: · I heard the shot ricochet, then felt a sudden pain in my leg.ricochet off: · A bullet ricocheted off the rock he was hiding behind. when something hits someone or something► blow the movement of hitting someone hard with your hand or with something held in your hand: · The blow proved fatal.strike (somebody) a blow: · The assailant struck several blows before he was restrained.· Officer Stacey was knocked over by a sharp blow to the head. ► impact when one object hits another: · Just after the impact there was a flash as the rocket exploded.on impact: · Both cars burst into flames on impact. ► collision when something, especially a vehicle, hits something else while it is moving: · Whiplash, a neck injury, is a result of automobile collisions.· News of the mid-air collision reached the papers quickly.head-on collision (=when two vehicles hit each other directly): · Those who drive the road regularly say their biggest fear is a head-on collision. the Internet and places on the Internet► (the) Internet/(the) Net a network of computer connections that allows computer users around the world to exchange information: · The Internet makes it possible for people all over the world to keep in touch.· In theory, the Net should make things quicker, but that isn't always the case.on the Internet/Net: · She spends nearly all her free time on the Internet.· The couple met on the Internet.Internet/Net access: · The city's libraries provide free Internet access. ► e- also E- used to form words that relate to activities involving use of the Internet, especially those connected with business. : · E-commerce was then seen as a booming economic area. ► cyber- used to form words that relate to activities involving the use of computers, especially the Internet: · Cyber-crime, for example the fraudulent use of credit cards on the net, presents particular problems for the police.· He seems to spend all his time in cyberspace! ► dotcom relating to a company whose business involves the Internet: · The business world was shaken by the huge drop in dotcom shares. · dotcom jobs ► web site a place on the Internet where you can find information about a particular company, organization, or person: · Visit our website on www.stellamary.UK. ► web page one of the areas you can go to on a website: · Do you want me to print off this web page? ► home page the first place you go to on a website: · You can reach all the other pages on a website from its home page. ► chat room an area on the Internet where people can talk to each other by sending messages that can be read or heard immediately: · Children should be taught to be careful about who they talk to in chat rooms. ► link/hyperlink writing or pictures on a web page which you can click on if you want to immediately go to another website or to another web page on the same website: · For more info, click on this link. ► search engine a computer program that helps you find information on the Internet: · This search engine will only find sites that originate in Europe. ► browser a program, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, that allows you to find and read documents on the Internet: · My browser really is incredibly slow. ► FAQ, faq frequently asked question(s); on websites, a list of questions that users often ask about the website, and answers to them: · Before e-mailing us, it might be advisable to click on FAQ first. ► online connected to other computers through the Internet, or available through the Internet: go online: · I'll just go online and look up her address. ► hit an occasion when someone uses a website, a web page, or part of a web page. Companies count the number of hits their websites, advertisements, etc receive to find out how well they are doing: · The official World Cup web-site scored a record number of hits last week. a popular book, film, song etc► best-seller a book that a lot of people buy: · J.K. Rowling's latest book is certain to be a bestseller. ► blockbuster a film that a lot of people watch and that makes a lot of money, especially a film with a lot of exciting action: · Bruce Willis's new blockbuster took $10.6 million in its first weekend.· "Roots" became a blockbuster TV series. ► hit a record, film, show etc that a lot of people buy or go to see: · When I first heard the song I knew it would be a hit.hit song/single/musical etc: · a new hit single from Janet Jacksonbig hit: · "Titanic" was a big hit all over the world. WORD SETS► Crime abet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► a hit single/show/record etc  the hit musical ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ ► a big/smash/number 1 etc hit  The Beatles’ greatest hits. Which band had a hit with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’? ► direct hit  Our ship took a direct hit and sank. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a hit-and-run accident (=when someone is hit by a driver who does not stop)· A woman is fighting for her life after a hit-and-run accident. ► badly hit (=be badly affected)· Businesses have been badly hit by the economic slowdown. ► hit a ball · He swung the bat back and hit the ball hard. ► hit the big time  The 46-year-old author has finally hit the big time. ► hit the bottle (=regularly drink too much) She was under a lot of stress, and started hitting the bottle. ► a (huge) box office hit/success ► slam on/jam on/hit the brakes (=use them suddenly and with a lot of force)· The car in front stopped suddenly and I had to slam on the brakes. ► a bullet hits/strikes somebody · The first bullet hit him in the back. ► a car hits something/crashes into something · I saw the car leave the road and hit a tree. ► hit the charts (=enter the charts)· The group eventually hit the charts. ► a chart hit (=a song or album in the charts)· At last the band had got a chart hit. ► a hit-and-run driver (=in which a car driver hits someone and does not stop)· The boy was in hospital after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. ► an earthquake hits/strikes a place (=happens in a particular place)· The region was struck by a major earthquake last year. ► hit the headlines (=make the headlines)· Crane hit the headlines after she was arrested for the murder of her husband. ► hit-and-run driver ► hit ... home run  I didn’t think I could hit a home run. ► hit on an idea informal (=suddenly think of an idea)· Then we hit on the idea of renting a cottage. ► lightning hits/strikes something · The house had been hit by lightning. ► a hit list (=a list of people, organizations etc that someone wants to harm or stop) ► fall to/hit/reach etc a new low (=be worth less than ever before) The euro has fallen to a new low against the dollar. ► a hit movie (=a successful movie)· He has directed a string of hit movies. ► hit/strike oil (=to find oil when you are digging for it)· The engineers drilled down a few hundred metres until they hit oil.· The Ohio Oil Company struck oil on May 3rd. ► be hit by a recession (=be badly affected by it)· Rural areas have been hardest hit by the recession. ► a shot hits somebody/something · The shot hit the burglar in the chest and killed him instantly. ► hit/run into a snag  The grand opening hit a snag when no one could find the key. ► hit the stands  One week, three magazines hit the stands (=became available to buy) with Peace Corps stories. ► a storm hits/strikes (a place) · We should try to get home before the storm hits. ► reach/achieve/hit a target (=meet it)· They achieved their target with just days to spare. ► hit a target · Not every bomb hit its target. ► a wave hits somebody/something · He was hit by a wave of nausea every time he tried to stand up. ► a hit on a website (=an occasion when someone visits a website)· There have already been 5000 hits on our website. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► big · The splashy novelty number was a big hit.· In Britain the biggest box-office hit was Batman Returns with Pounds 2.77 million in the first three days.· Agnes was the biggest hit of that year.· The big hit with the kiddies had to be the Pirates Club.· I went with the mugs and they're a big hit. ► direct · Opposite An archer fish achieves a direct hit.· With a beautiful clean throw Trondur made a direct hit.· Not unless it's a direct hit, then you've had it anyway.· No effective defense was possible against a direct hit.· One scored a direct hit but, despite being showered with glass, there were no serious injuries.· Both were direct hits, as he knew they would be.· Points are awarded for direct hits and speed.· He was killed instantly, a direct hit. ► great · Or perhaps it's belting out Slade's greatest hits with your best friends and a bottle of wine?· Box sets collect music into greatest hits, anthologies, chronologies, complete collected works, best-of and worst-of packages.· With luck, a few years will bring a greatest hits compilation. ► huge · One brand new product that seems to have scored a huge hit at the recent MacWorld show is Adobe's Illustrator. ► instant · Meanwhile, the Cheltenham Festival's newest race, the £40,000 added Coral Cup, has been an instant hit with trainers.· Unveiled in 1986, the megaliths were an instant hit.· The Plaza Girls, a troupe of tall dancers that were an instant hit with the public.· Shearer, an instant hit at Blackburn, has yet to convince me. ► late · Kylie would spend hours listening to the radio, singing or humming along the latest hits. ► recent · Kaufman's not shy about comparing his latest, Terror Firmer, to a certain recent hit starring Anthony Hopkins. NOUN► chart · Over a soundtrack of appropriate chart hits, unidentified teenagers talked about coming to terms with their own sexuality.· It seems this year's surprise chart hit has prompted a renewed interest in the didgeridoo. ► record · The first hit record to ever mention a baby though?· Played loose and desperate by Marcus Naylor, Floyd has a hit record out, but he needs another.· The initial costs of the latter are generally held to be underwritten by the large surplus generated by any big hit record. ► show · That boy was Luke Perry, heart-throb star of hit show Beverly Hills 90210. ► smash · It may not be the London Palladium but it is a smash hit!· Have a great day and we hope your dot.com venture is a smash hit.· Daly has been, quite literally, the smash hit of the Masters with the crowds, attracting the biggest galleries. VERB► become · He was jointly responsible for writing at least one tune which became a hit and made a name for the other writer.· Revived in syndication, the show went on to become an international hit.· His recording of the title song became a massive hit and I understand a new sexier image will be revealed around Christmas.· But when the show became a hit, I think a lot of people looked at television differently.· The disc flopped, but the song became a substantial hit for Tracey Ullman four years later.· Coolidge already has become a hit with neighbors and members of the Chamber of Commerce. ► score · One brand new product that seems to have scored a huge hit at the recent MacWorld show is Adobe's Illustrator.· One scored a direct hit but, despite being showered with glass, there were no serious injuries.· If a Skeleton manages to score a wounding hit on an adventurer, something quite hideous happens.· Punters throw coins, trying to score a hit in the tin trays.· Whatever else, the media is scoring a direct hit on itself.· It therefore has to aim at a carefully judged angle to the apparent direction if it is going to score a hit.· It missed mostly; when it did score a hit there was a screaming ping and no more.· A shell scored a direct hit on a petrol tank, and he felt the wave of heat from fifty yards off. ► take · He runs too upright, relies too much on sheer strength instead of evading defenders, and so takes too many hits.· We had taken a hit on the fuel tank.· He sees that we're taking the hits and that we can handle the pain.· The high number of craters suggest Mathilde has been taking hits for several billion years.· They absorb these losses either by taking the hit themselves or by paying insurance premiums that are roughly equal to those losses.· Its conspicuous lack of charm took two major hits in the national media in the last month alone.· As Lambert watched, one SE5a took a hit from a shell and fell sideways.· We took four hits, and immediately, we went into a rapid descent to elude the machine guns. Phrases PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be at/hit/reach rock bottom By four o'clock Melissa's spirits were at rock bottom. ► run into/hit the buffers► chart-topping record/group/hit etc► direct hit One bomb scored a direct hit on the aircraft carrier. 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. He was killed instantly, a direct hit. I lay under my cot and prayed that our hooch would not take a direct hit with a rocket. It was in a dance hall, a direct hit. The bomb had been a direct hit and only the last few dwellings had still been standing afterwards. The next one was a direct hit, and the whole ceiling did come down. With a beautiful clean throw Trondur made a direct hit. ► be hard hit/be hit hard► haul off and hit/punch/kick somebody► hit the hay► as soon as your head hits the pillow► the hit parade► hit/drive/hammer etc something home► hit/strike home The reality of the war didn't hit home until someone from the neighborhood was killed. All of a sudden the hollowness of our triumph over nature hit home with striking effect. And to go back to your start-up page hit Home. By the early 1970s, this realization had already hit home. His comment hit home for me, as both therapist and layperson. It must have struck home in some way. She could see that her remark had hit home. They spend much of the book showing how various companies have used them to hit home runs or strike out. Within hours, the reality of the situation had hit home. ► not know what hit you► kick/hit a man when he’s down► hit/miss the mark All too often, national political coverage misses the mark. As a welfare program, the minimum wage misses the mark because it worsens the status of the most disadvantaged youths. But the show missed the mark on other aspects of police work, the group said. In any book of several hundred pages you're bound to hit the mark occasionally. In your recent coverage of Novell's letter of intent to purchase Unix System Laboratories you've really missed the mark. The movie itself simply misses the mark. The umpires green-flagged the crash but penalised Stripes for hitting the mark, effectively giving Kanza the race. Words don't always hit the mark, do they? ► hit the mother lode► touch/hit a (raw) nerve I had finally touched a nerve. Our article touched a raw nerve. Q: Why has that era hit a nerve with people now? The charge has hit a nerve, persuading the company to earmark 265 Levantine buildings for special restoration. The subject of hawkers had touched a raw nerve. The theatrical farce touches a nerve. The wide current appeal of such music seems to touch a nerve of communal masochism. They also touched a nerve of public anxiety. ► hit/strike the right/wrong note He reworked everything he wrote until he had hit the right note of Gailic pedantry. So are buskers in Gloucester striking the right note with their audience? That would have the merit of simplicity, but would it strike the right note socially? ► pound/hit the pavement For months, Garcia pounded the pavement for jobs. And if my next fifteen years are spent pounding the pavement in search of a job without a handset in it - too bad. He turned and saw a lithe figure in a track suit pounding the pavement towards him. I wrenched the wheel round in a tight turn, hitting the pavement as I went. It began to rain when she was half way along Gloucester Road, big spots like buttons hitting the pavement. Or pull out your own wheels and hit the pavement. The brown paper bag tied with white string hit the pavement, split and corn went all over the place. When he's not on the track competing, you will find Paul out pounding the pavements. ► hit/strike paydirt► touch/hit a raw nerve Our article touched a raw nerve. The subject of hawkers had touched a raw nerve. ► hit/reach rock bottom After we lost the contract, morale in the office reached rock bottom. Confidence in the city's police force has hit rock bottom. Joan Rivers reveals how she hit rock bottom and recovered in her autobiography. As a result, hotel values hit rock bottom in 1992. At the time, I thought one had hit rock bottom. But this time he does seem to have hit rock bottom. Ogmore to Barry beach sport hit rock bottom. The 28-year-old mechanical engineer's fortunes took a dramatic twist midway through last season when his career hit rock bottom. ► hit the sack Then the two cups of decaff before you hit the sack. When they do, they hit the sack for marathon love-making sessions - that's once Bill's made the bed! Your husband needs to relax before he hits the sack. ► the shit hits the fan The shit really hit the fan when Andy saw the phone bill. ► knock/hit somebody for six He'd done it again, she realised in amazement - with just a few choice words he'd knocked her for six. ► hit somebody like a ton of bricks The news of her accident hit me like a ton of bricks. ► hit the wall During the 1982 recession, the deepest since the Depression, state governments began to hit the wall. Each time the ball hits the wall a brick disappears and you're closer to your aim of breaking down the wall. He expected to hit the wall of the cliff somewhere up ahead. I miss and hit the wall. It gathers speed, and suddenly hits the wall by the foot of the bed. It hit the wall four feet below him. It hit the wall near the window and smashed. Witnesses swear that as fast as the line drive hit the wall, Rivera was rounding second before it touched the ground. 1successful something such as a film, play, song etc that is very popular and successfula hit single/show/record etc the hit musical ‘The 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.2hit 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.3computer 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 hits4take a hit to be badly affected in some way:  The region's economy will take a hit if the airbase is closed.5informal a feeling of pleasure obtained from taking an illegal drug6informal a murder that has been arranged to happen → hit man
随便看	peppermint pepperoni pepper pot pepper spray peppery pep pill pep rally Pepsi pepsin pep squad pep talk peptic ulcer Pepys, Samuel per perambulate perambulation perambulator per annum percale per capita perceive percent percentage percentile perceptible

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