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.
Claude Lemieux, the four-time Stanley Cup champion known for his ferocious, hard-hitting style and clutch play in big games, has died.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Early signs suggested that “Iceman” would constitute a return to Drake’s tough-talking ways in the wake of his humiliating defeat, and indeed that’s largely what the album delivers over plush yet hard-hitting beats.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 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 son of hard-hitting former Tonga international Keni Fisilau, number eight Greg has been a key part of Exeter's revival this season.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
Before the war he had been an alert, hard-hitting, aggressive marketing executive.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
