hit the nail on the head en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.
"Scotte's discovery of Witchcraft dismasketh sundry egregious impostures, and in certaine principall chapters, and speciall passages, hitteth the nayle on the head with a witnesse."
1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierce's Supererogation, or A New Praise Of The Old Ass, page 291:He hit the nail on the head when he said the problem was the thermostat.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hits the nail on the head | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| hitting the nail on the head | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| hit the nail on the head | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| hit the nail on the head | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
on the nose · on the dot · on the nail
Synonyms
nail it · nail the hammer on the head
Translations (43)
gsw de Nagel uf de Chopf treffe (identify something exactly) · sv slå huvudet på spiken (identify something exactly) · tr tam üstüne basmak (identify something exactly) · la rem acū tangō (identify something exactly) · lt durti kaip pirštu į akį (identify something exactly) · is tilgreina kjarna máls (identify something exactly) · it colpire nel segno (identify something exactly) · cs uhodit hřebíček na hlavičku (identify something exactly) · ru попа́сть в то́чку (identify something exactly) · la acū tangō (identify something exactly) · es acertar (identify something exactly) · it fare centro (identify something exactly) · pl trafiać w sedno (identify something exactly) · uk приткну́ти як вужа́ ви́лами (identify something exactly) · uk попа́сти в то́чку (identify something exactly) · nl de spijker op de kop slaan (identify something exactly) · es dar en el clavo (identify something exactly) · pt acertar em cheio (identify something exactly) · de ins Schwarze treffen (identify something exactly) · fi osua naulan kantaan (identify something exactly) · tr taşı yerine koymak (identify something exactly) · fr mettre dans le mille (identify something exactly) · es dar en el blanco (identify something exactly) · mt laqat il-musmar fuq rasu (identify something exactly) · da ramme hovedet på sømmet (identify something exactly) · pl trafić w sedno (identify something exactly) · ca justa la fusta (identify something exactly) · ru попа́сть не в бровь, а в глаз (identify something exactly) · cs udeřit hřebíček na hlavičku (identify something exactly) · fr taper dans le mille (identify something exactly) · is eiga kollgátuna (identify something exactly) · es clavarla en el ángulo (identify something exactly) · uk у самі́сіньке о́ко вці́лити (identify something exactly) · es hacerlo bien (identify something exactly) · is koma orðum að kjarna máls (identify something exactly) · lb den Nol op de Kapp treffen (identify something exactly) · hu fején találja a szöget (identify something exactly) · fr faire mouche (identify something exactly) · is hitta naglann á höfuðið (identify something exactly) · cmn 一針見血 /一针见血 (identify something exactly) · tr taşı gediğine koymak (identify something exactly) · de den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen (identify something exactly) · is hitta í mark (identify something exactly)