INDEX:
1. to hit someone deliberately
2. to hit someone repeatedly
3. a car/train/plane etc hits something
4. to hit someone or something accidentally
5. to hit someone as a punishment
6. to hit someone in a friendly way etc
7. to make someone or something fall down by hitting them
8. to hit an object/door/table etc with something
9. to hit an object or surface and move away again
10. when something hits someone or something
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ HURT/INJURE
↑ ATTACK
↑ SHOOT
↑ UNCONSCIOUS (4)
↑ KICK
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1. to hit someone deliberately
▷ hit /hɪt/ [transitive verb]
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 /pʌntʃ, slʌg/ [transitive verb]
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 /slæp/ [transitive verb]
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.
slap [countable noun]
▪ If you don’t behave yourself, you’ll get a slap!
▷ strike /straɪk/ [transitive verb] 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 /ˌθrəʊ ə ˈpʌntʃ/ [verb phrase]
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 /wæk/ [transitive verb] 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 /θʌmp/ [transitive verb] 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 /bæʃ/ [transitive verb] 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 /ˈklɒbəʳǁˈklɑː-/ [transitive verb] 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.
2. to hit someone repeatedly
▷ beat /biːt/ [transitive verb]
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 /ˌbiːt ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /ˈbætəʳ/ [transitive verb]
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 /ˌbiːt ˈʌp ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb] 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 /ˌnɒk somebody əˈbaʊt, ˌnɒk somebody əˈraʊndǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /klʌb/ [transitive verb]
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.
3. a car/train/plane etc hits something
▷ hit /hɪt/ [transitive verb]
▪ 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 /ˈrʌn ɪntuː/ [verb phrase]
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 /ˌrʌn ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /ˈkræʃ, ˈsmæʃ ɪntu:/ [verb phrase]
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 /ˈræm, ˈslæm ɪntu:/ [verb phrase]
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 /ˈplaʊ ɪntu:/ [verb phrase]
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 /kəˈlaɪd/ [intransitive verb]
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 /ræm/ [transitive verb]
to deliberately hit another vehicle very hard, especially when it is not moving :
▪ The ship had been rammed by a submarine.
▷ go into /ˈgəʊ ɪntu:/ [verb phrase] British informal
to hit something or someone with a vehicle :
▪ Someone went into the back of my bike at the traffic lights.
4. to hit someone or something accidentally
▷ hit /hɪt/ [transitive verb]
▪ 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 /ˈbʌmp ɪntuː/ [verb phrase]
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 /bʌmp/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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 /straɪk/ [] 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 /ˈkræʃ ɪntu:/ [transitive verb]
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 /nɒkǁnɑːk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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 /bæŋ, bæʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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 /kəˈlaɪd/ [intransitive verb]
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 /kræk/ [transitive verb]
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.
5. to hit someone as a punishment
▷ beat /biːt/ [transitive verb]
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 /spæŋk/ [transitive verb]
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.
spanking [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ Just behave yourself or you’ll get another spanking.
▪ Child welfare groups are campaigning to get spanking made illegal.
▷ smack/slap also swat American /smæk, slæp, swɒtǁswɑːt/ [transitive verb]
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 /ˌgɪv somebody ə ˈbiːtɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
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 /wɪp, flɒgǁflɑːg/ [transitive verb]
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 /ˌkɔːʳp ə rəl ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ [uncountable noun]
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.
6. to hit someone in a friendly way etc
▷ slap/clap somebody on the back /ˌslæp, ˌklæp somebody ɒn ðə ˈbæk/ [verb phrase]
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 /pæt/ [transitive verb]
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.
7. to make someone or something fall down by hitting them
▷ knock out /ˌnɒk ˈaʊtǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /ˌpʌntʃ ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] 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 /ˌnɒk ˈdaʊn, ˈəʊvəʳǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /ˌnɒk ˈɒfǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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.
8. to hit an object/door/table etc with something
▷ hit /hɪt/ [transitive verb]
▪ 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 /nɒkǁnɑːk/ [intransitive verb]
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.
knock [countable noun]
knock at/on
▪ I had just turned out the lights when I heard a knock at the door.
knocking [singular noun]
the sound of someone knocking: :
▪ We were woken by a frantic knocking at the door.
▷ tap /tæp/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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.
tap [countable noun]
▪ I was startled by a light tap at the door.
▷ bang /bæŋ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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 /ræp/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
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.
rap [countable noun]
▪ There was a rap at the kitchen door.
▷ strike /straɪk/ [transitive verb] 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 /bæʃ, ˌgɪv something ə ˈbæʃ/ [transitive verb] 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 /wæk/ [transitive verb]
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 /ˈhæməʳ/ [intransitive verb]
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.
9. to hit an object or surface and move away again
▷ bounce off /ˈbaʊns ɒf/ [verb phrase]
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 /rɪˈbaʊnd/ [intransitive verb]
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 /ˈglɑːns ɒfǁˈglæns-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 /ˈrɪkəʃeɪ/ [intransitive verb]
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.
10. when something hits someone or something
▷ blow /bləʊ/ [countable noun]
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 /ˈɪmpækt/ [singular noun]
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 /kəˈlɪʒ ə n/ [countable noun]
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.