hit-or-miss
1 of 2adjective
ˌhit-ər-ˈmis 
: marked by a lack of care, forethought, system, or plan
also : hit-and-miss
hit or miss
2 of 2adverb
: in a hit-or-miss manner : haphazardly
Synonyms
Adjective
- aimless
- arbitrary
- catch-as-catch-can
- desultory
- erratic
- haphazard
- helter-skelter
- random
- scattered
- slapdash
- stray
Adverb
- aimlessly
- anyhow
- anyway
- anywise
- desultorily
- erratically
- haphazard
- haphazardly
- helter-skelter
- irregularly
- randomly
- willy-nilly
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adverb I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 7 Sep. 2022 In other words, forecasting economic outcomes–something that was already, to say the very least, hit or miss–is virtually impossible right now because the data is so anomalous. Norbert Michel, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 Shopping at Dollar Tree or a 99 Cents Only Store can save you money on staples such as cereal and pasta sauce, but the selection can be hit or miss, said Stanger, citing a recent study by Consumer Reports. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 The dining room tends to fill up fast, and service can be hit or miss. oregonlive, 1 July 2022 Additionally, many of the existing dual enrollment programs are hit or miss. Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 6 June 2022 Loaisiga, who came into this season as the heir apparent to Chapman, has been hit or miss this season. Kristie Ackert, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2022 They should be hit or miss but could drop some heavy rain in spots. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 26 July 2022 TikTok beauty trends are the very definition of hit or miss. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 15 July 2022 See More
Adverb
The key for him will be positioning, something that’s been hit or miss in EuroBasket. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 7 Sep. 2022 In other words, forecasting economic outcomes–something that was already, to say the very least, hit or miss–is virtually impossible right now because the data is so anomalous. Norbert Michel, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 Shopping at Dollar Tree or a 99 Cents Only Store can save you money on staples such as cereal and pasta sauce, but the selection can be hit or miss, said Stanger, citing a recent study by Consumer Reports. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 The dining room tends to fill up fast, and service can be hit or miss. oregonlive, 1 July 2022 Additionally, many of the existing dual enrollment programs are hit or miss. Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 6 June 2022 Loaisiga, who came into this season as the heir apparent to Chapman, has been hit or miss this season. Kristie Ackert, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2022 They should be hit or miss but could drop some heavy rain in spots. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 26 July 2022 TikTok beauty trends are the very definition of hit or miss. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 15 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1848, in the meaning defined above
Adverb
1606, in the meaning defined above
hit-or-miss 1 of 2
adjective
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- random
- scattered
- arbitrary
- erratic
- haphazard
- sporadic
- slapdash
- lucky
- accidental
- aimless
- stray
- casual
- odd
- desultory
- catch-as-catch-can
- contingent
- irregular
- scattershot
- chancy
- chance
- fortuitous
- spot
- helter-skelter
- inadvertent
- shotgun
- unsystematic
- unintentional
- incidental
- indiscriminate
- flukey
- unplanned
- unconsidered
- unintended
- fluky
- unpremeditated
- disorganized
- directionless
- purposeless
- undiscriminating
- unselective
- objectless
- disorderly
- undirected
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- regular
- systematic
- regular
- methodical
- steady
- constant
- stable
- continuous
- orderly
- fixed
- organized
- nonrandom
- methodic
- systematized
- established
- even
- arranged
- deliberate
- purposeful
- set
- planned
- managed
- conscious
- thoughtful
- aware
- willful
- ordered
- wilful
- orchestrated
hit or miss
2 of 2adverb
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it Synonyms & Similar Words
- randomly
- at random
- casually
- irregularly
- haphazardly
- haphazard
- anyway
- aimlessly
- informally
- desultorily
- erratically
- accidentally
- arbitrarily
- indiscriminately
- carelessly
- anyhow
- inadvertently
- anywise
- disconnectedly
- promiscuously
- unconsciously
- capriciously
- willy-nilly
- whimsically
- unwittingly
- offhand
- unintentionally
- helter-skelter
- fortuitously
- intermittently
- offhandedly
- unpredictably
- fitfully
- spottily
- disjointedly
- topsy-turvy
- higgledy-piggledy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- systematically
- formally
- methodically
- carefully
- gingerly
- deliberately
- orderly
- punctiliously
- intentionally
- meticulously
- purposefully
- purposely