hit-or-miss

1 of 2

adjective

: marked by a lack of care, forethought, system, or plan
also : hit-and-miss

hit or miss

2 of 2

adverb

: in a hit-or-miss manner : haphazardly

Examples of hit-or-miss in a Sentence

Adjective your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again Adverb I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
This season, though, has been hit-or-miss. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 24 Mar. 2025 Neither should be trusted often in man-to-man coverage and can be hit-or-miss in zone. Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
Adverb
While the chances of some showers rise by late Saturday across the islands, it's expected to be hit or miss through the weekend. Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2025 Opening night is April 22; Probably too soon to predict hit or miss for Boop! and Smash, with the former taking in $398,040 for six previews and one regular performances, and the latter at a healthier $892,618 but still around the 89% capacity mark. Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hit-or-miss was in 1606

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Hit-or-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit-or-miss. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

hit or miss

adverb
: without plan, order, or direction : haphazardly
hit-or-miss
ˌhit-ər-ˈmis
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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