hit the bull's-eye

hit the bull's-eye

1. Literally, to hit the circle in the center of a target. Ugh, none of my arrows hit the bull's-eye, or even came close. Wow, you really hit the bull's-eye dead center! I hit a bull's-eye last time and then totally fired over the target, sheesh.

2. To have the desired effect. Based on that rousing round of applause, your speech really hit the bull's-eye. If you don't hit the bull's-eye when you talk to the kids, they'll just tune you out. If you hit the bull's-eye, the board won't be able to turn down your proposal.

3. To be precisely correct or accurate. You really hit the bull's-eye with that answer—good job. Elizabeth hit the bull's-eye when she suggested that we try expanding our core demographic. We've been way too narrow in our marketing recently. A: "Whoa, you hit the bull's-eye when you predicted that character wasn't really dead." B: "Eh, is anyone ever really dead on a soap opera?"

See also: hit

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

hit the bull's-eye

 

1. Lit. to hit the very center of a circular target. The archer hit the bull's-eye three times in a row. I didn't hit the bull's-eye even once.

2. Fig. to achieve the goal perfectly. Your idea really hit the bull's-eye. Thank you! Jill has a lot of insight. She knows how to hit the bull's-eye.

See also: hit

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

hit the bull's-eye

Also, hit the mark or the nail on the head . Be absolutely right, as in Your remark about finances hit the bull's-eye, or Jane hit the mark with her idea for shuffling personnel, or The governor's speech on attracting new businesses hit the nail on the head. The round black center of a target has been called a bull's-eye since the 17th century; mark similarly alludes to a target; and the analogy to driving home a nail by hitting it on its head dates from the 16th century. Also see off the mark.

See also: hit

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hit the bull’s-eye

verb

See hit the spot

See also: hit

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.