hit // verb, noun

■ verb (hitting, hit, hit)

1 [+ obj or no obj]

to have a bad effect on sb/sth:

The industry has been hit by a series of strikes.

We were hit with a 10% tax penalty.

A global recession hit and markets plunged.

The tax increases will certainly hit the poor.

2 [+ obj]

to reach a particular price or level, especially one that is very high or low:

Unemployment has hit a 10-year high.

He believes crude oil could hit $40 a barrel.

There are signs that economy has hit bottom and will start to improve.

We hit all our earnings targets.

3 (informal) [+ obj]

to experience sth difficult; to stop making progress with sth:

We hit a problem installing the system.

The economy hit a rough patch (= a difficult period) this year.

4 (informal) [+ obj]

if a product hits the shelves, stores, etc. it becomes available and starts being sold:

The camera should hit the shelves in early May.

The shares hit the market at $4.

IDIOMS

be hit hard (by sth); be hard hit (by sth)

to be affected very badly by sth:

The area has been hard hit by a decline in manufacturing.

the hard-hit steel industry

hit (it) big (informal)

to be very successful:

We all know some company owners who have hit it big and made lots of money.

hit the buffers (especially BrE) (informal)

if sth hits the buffers it suddenly stops happening or being successful:

Consumer spending has hit the buffers.

hit the ground running (informal)

to start doing sth and continue very quickly and successfully:

We need people who are trained properly and can hit the ground running.

hit the skids (informal)

to begin to fail rapidly:

Share prices have hit the skids.

hit a wall

if a company, a person, a price, etc. hits a wall, they reach a point where they are unable to make any further progress:

After years of booming sales and profits, the company has hit a wall.

I moved up quite a long way in the company, but then I hit a wall.

hit the wall

if a company hits the wall, it starts to fail or fails completely:

If your company hit the wall and fired all of its employees tomorrow, how long would it take you to find a new job?

BRICK, PANIC BUTTON, PAY DIRT, SKID

PHRASAL VERBS

hit sb up (for sth); hit sb for sth (AmE) (informal)

to ask sb for money:

When launching their new companies they hit up friends and family.

■ noun [C]

1 (IT )

a result of a search on a computer, especially on the Internet; a person who visits an Internet page:

You can limit the number of search hits.

The site had 20 000 hits on just one day.

2

a person or thing that is very popular:

The drink is proving a big hit with young consumers.

3

something that has a bad effect on sb/sth:

The legislation will limit the hit to taxpayers.

IDIOMS

take a hit

1

to be damaged or badly affected by sth:

The airline industry took a hit last year.

The economy has taken a big hit from high energy costs.

2

if a company's profits take a hit, they are reduced by the amount mentioned, especially because the company has had to pay an unusual cost:

The company has taken a €170 million hit to its earnings.

• consumer panel
• consumer preference
• consumer price
• consumer price index
• consumer price inflation
• consumer promotion
• consumer protection
• consumer research
• consumer resistance
• consumers' cooperative
• consumer society
• consumer surplus
• consumer watchdog
• consumption
• consumption bundle
• consumption expenditure
• consumption function
• consumption goods
• consumption tax
• cont.
• contact
• contact centre
• contact-to-order ratio
• container
• contango