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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

See Examples For:

hit-or-miss hit or miss

Startup cultures and learning opportunities are hit-or-miss, just like those equity stakes that may or may not produce windfalls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 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

The plot's busy, the visual effects hit-or-miss and its villains are neither potent nor memorable.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2024

The Niners have been a hit-or-miss team the past two decades.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

The bakery sometimes sold us day-old bread at a discount, but it was hit-or-miss based on what was available.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

Murphy’s over-the-top style makes his shows very hit or miss.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

Over time, I started to encounter more Black Santas in retail spaces, but the selection was always hit or miss.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025

The Post newsroom is hit or miss on that count.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2024

On both days, the thunderstorms will be hit or miss, meaning that some locations will escape them altogether.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2024

My reading prior to my senior year had been largely hit or miss.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers