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• hit-or-miss
  hit-or-miss

  adjective

  careless; inattentive; haphazard.
• hit or miss
  hit or miss

  Haphazardly, at random. For example, She took dozens of photos, hit or miss, hoping that some would be good. [c. 1600]

hit-or-miss

American  

[hit-er-mis] / ˈhɪt ərˈmɪs /

adjective

1. careless; inattentive; haphazard.

   The professor criticized the hit-or-miss quality of our research.

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hit or miss Idioms  

1. Haphazardly, at random. For example, She took dozens of photos, hit or miss, hoping that some would be good. [c. 1600]

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Etymology

Origin of hit-or-miss

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Live-action remakes are a "hit or miss", says Ander Guerrero, an anime fan based in Spain.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025

And Meghan, despite her very intentional regular mom persona, seems very hit or miss in that charm offensive.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025

However, she feels that AI can sometimes be hit or miss.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2024

“A lot of croissants, obviously. I do like escargot. I know it’s like a hit or miss between some people, but honestly don’t mind the snails too much,” Gauff said.

From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024

There's always a temp agency or consulting firm that can farm out someone, but it's hit or miss with temp hires, who typically don't really care.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon