hard-hitting
Americanadjective
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striking or capable of striking with force.
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strikingly or effectively forceful.
a hard-hitting exposé.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of hard-hitting
First recorded in 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His witty, thoughtful verses broadened the scope of hip-hop with stories about treating your mother with respect and catching your girlfriend cheating with the postman, alongside hard-hitting lyrics about social deprivation and immigration.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
A fortnight on from dismantling England in ruthless fashion, Ireland were prevented from producing another statement performance by a hard-hitting Wales team who were chasing a first championship win since 2023.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
It’s that they’ve done it by transforming into the rudest, most hard-hitting, trash-talking team in professional basketball.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The hard-hitting Mboko arrived in Melbourne on the back of a breakthrough six months, winning her maiden WTA title in Canada in August, beating Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka along the way.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
A hard-hitting linebacker and captain on the football team who left the field and refused to return when a brawl erupted in his final high school game.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
