hit-or-miss
adjective
careless; inattentive; haphazard.
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hit-or-miss
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hit or miss
hit or missHaphazardly, 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
hit or miss
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of hit-or-miss
First recorded in 1600–10
Vocabulary lists containing hit-or-miss
Occasional
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Occasional
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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.
See Examples For:
Under Walt, Disney built a mechanism to stabilize itself against the hit-or-miss business model of theatrical film releases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Cal agrees, saying the sketches have been in "hit-or-miss territory" - but "we're in year 51 of the US version and it's still like that".
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Teachers were supposed to have special training, as any special-ed teacher would, but it seemed hit-or-miss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2024
The plot's busy, the visual effects hit-or-miss and its villains are neither potent nor memorable.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2024
Anyway, just like any potential new friendship, the relationships born from the Last Friend app can be pretty hit-or-miss.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
The Trojans were 5 of 24 inside the arc through one half, left to rely instead on their long-range shooting, which had been hit or miss most of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 3, 2026
Like Charlotte, Annabel finds communicating her allergies to restaurant staff can be very hit or miss.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 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
It could be crazy hot, and the hot dogs were often hit or miss, but it was something they always did—just him and her.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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.
