hit the nail on the head Definition

hit
verb hit (past tense, past participle), hitting (present participle)

1. To strike someone or something.

Thesaurus: strike, belt, cudgel, cuff, club, flail, pelt, rap, slap, smite, pop, let have it (slang), whack (slang).
2. To come into forceful contact with something.
3. To reach a target with a blow, missile, etc.
4. To knock something (eg oneself or part of oneself) against something, especially hard or violently.

Example: hit one's head on the door
5. To affect suddenly and severely.

Example: The sad news hit her hard
intr
6. To strike or direct a blow.
7. colloq
To find or attain something, especially an answer, by chance
Example: You've hit it!
8. To reach or arrive at something.

Example: hit an all-time low
9. sport.
To drive (the ball) with a stroke of the bat.
10. colloq
To reach a place or location.
Example: We'll hit the city tomorrow

noun

1. A stroke or blow.

Thesaurus: impact, collision, blow, bump, knock, punch, smack, stroke, swipe, wallop.
2. sport.
A successful stroke or shot.
3. colloq
Something of extreme popularity or success.
Example: The new cinema is a real hit
Thesaurus: success, triumph, achievement, masterstroke, winner, knockout (slang), sellout, smash, sensation; Antonym: flop, dud.
4. An effective remark, eg a sarcasm or witticism.
5. slang
A murder, especially one by organized gangs.
6. drug-taking slang
A shot of a hard drug.

Idiom: hard hit

See under hard.

Idiom: hit it off with someone

To get on well with them.

Idiom: hit it up

drug-taking slang
To inject a drug.

Idiom: hit the bottle

See under bottle.

Idiom: hit the ceiling (hit the roof)

To be extremely angry.

Idiom: hit the hay (hit the sack)

slang
To go to bed.

Idiom: hit the nail on the head

See under nail.

Idiom: hit the road

To leave or depart.

Idiom: make a hit with someone (score a hit with someone)

To be successful or popular with them.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon hittan.

Phrasal Verb: hit at someone

To direct a blow, sarcasm, jibe, attack, etc at them.

Phrasal Verb: hit back

To retaliate.

Phrasal Verb: hit someone or something off

To imitate, mimic, or aptly describe them or it.

Phrasal Verb: hit on or upon someone

To come upon or discover them or it; to single them or it out.To make sexual advances towards them.

Phrasal Verb: hit out at or against someone or something

To attack them or it physically or verbally.

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nail
noun

1. The outer structure, composed of keratin, that grows from a tuck in the skin and protects part of the fleshy tip of a finger or toe.
2. A metal spike hammered into something, eg to join two objects together or to serve as a hook.

Thesaurus: peg, stud, pin, rivet, screw, spike, staple, tack.

verb nailed, nailing

1. To fasten something with, or as if with, a nail or nails.

Thesaurus: hammer, drive, spike, pound, beat, hit, hold, bind, clinch, fasten, fix, tack, pin, secure.
2. colloq
To catch, trap or corner someone.
Thesaurus: capture, detain, apprehend, catch, collar (slang).
3. To detect, identify or expose (a lie or deception, etc).

Derivative: nailer
noun

A maker of nails.

Derivative: nailery
noun

A place where nails are made.

Idiom: a nail in one's coffin (a nail in the coffin)

Any event or experience, etc that has the effect of shortening one's life.

A contributory factor in the downfall of anyone or anything.

Idiom: hard as nails

Callous; unsympathetic; unsentimental.
Thesaurus: steely, tough, hard-nosed (slang), callous, unfeeling, cruel, remorseless.

Idiom: hit the nail on the head

To pinpoint a problem or issue exactly.

To describe something in terms that sum it up precisely.

Idiom: nail one's colours to the mast

See under colours.

Idiom: on the nail

colloq
Immediately.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon nægl: from German Nagel.

Phrasal Verb: nail someone down

To extract a definite decision or promise from them.

Phrasal Verb: nail something down

To fix it down with nails.To define or identify it clearly.