hit-or-miss

[ hit-er-mis ]

/ ˈhɪt ərˈmɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hit-or-miss ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

careless; inattentive; haphazard: The professor criticized the hit-or-miss quality of our research.

Origin of hit-or-miss

First recorded in 1600–10

Words nearby hit-or-miss

hit off, hit on, hit on all cylinders, hit one's stride, hit one where one lives, hit-or-miss, hit out, hit parade, hit-run, hit-skip, hit squad

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hit-or-miss

Her occasional sketches are hit-or-miss, best when they have some sly subtext.
Chelsea Handler: Leno's Naughty Rival|Caryn James|April 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Things had apparently been stuffed in hit-or-miss fashion: ribbons, scarves, odd bits of costumes were all entangled together.
The Mystery of the Secret Band|Edith Lavell
It is largely a hit-or-miss or grab-in-the-dark method, as it is impossible to clean up the ground in this manner.
The Submarine in War and Peace|Simon Lake
Augusta gave him a hit-or-miss kiss in the dark, climbed into her bed and went obediently to sleep like a child.
The Hills of Desire|Richard Aumerle Maher

A competitive game which is easy to manage is hit-or-miss illustrating.
What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games and Pastimes|Dorothy Canfield Fisher
There was a blue-and-white, hit-or-miss rag rug on the floor.
Ainslee's magazine, Volume 16, No. 3, October, 1905|Various

Idioms and Phrases with hit-or-miss

hit or miss

Haphazardly, at random. For example, She took dozens of photos, hit or miss, hoping that some would be good. [c. 1600]