hit the spot

verb

To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

“Some ice cold lemonade would hit the spot on a warm afternoon.”

Similar
scratch the itchscratch an itchhit the button
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Meanings

verbhit the spot (third-person singular simple present hits the spot, present participle hitting the spot, simple past and past participle hit the spot)

present singular third person hits the spot · participle present hitting the spot

  1. idiomaticinformalTo be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

    Some ice cold lemonade would hit the spot on a warm afternoon.

    1 more example

    Even in the Midwestern summer heat, Al’s dogs hit the spot. Chicago is indisputably a hot-dog town, and there may be no better time than summer to feel that sunshine in your hands.

    2022 July 21, Eric Kim, “Welcome to Chicago, Hot Dog Town, U.S.A.”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: scratch the itch, scratch an itch, hit the button

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

Similar
scratch the itchscratch an itchhit the button
Also see
hit the buttonscratch an itch

Origin

Likely originally reflecting either the same metaphor as scratch the itch or a shooting-at-a-target metaphor, although not always perceived through those lenses anymore.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 恰到好处
  • 恰到好处 (qiàdàohǎochù)be particularly pleasing or appropriate
Finnish tehdä terää, olla poikaa
  • tehdä terääbe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • olla poikaabe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • tehdä poikaabe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • tehdä eetvarttiabe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • tulla hyvään saumaanbe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • sopia kuin valettube particularly pleasing or appropriate
French mettre dans le mille, faire mouche
  • mettre dans le millebe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • faire mouchebe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • passer crèmebe particularly pleasing or appropriate
Icelandic vera hreinasta fyrirtak, vera beint í æð
  • vera hreinasta fyrirtakbe particularly pleasing or appropriate
  • vera beint í æðbe particularly pleasing or appropriate
Polish trafić w dziesiątkę
  • trafić w dziesiątkębe particularly pleasing or appropriate
Welsh taro'r nod
  • taro'r nodbe particularly pleasing or appropriate
Cite this entry
APA

hit the spot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20spot

MLA

“hit the spot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20spot. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hit the spot,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20spot.

Source: hit the spot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.