verb phrase🎓 English idiom

hit the books

to study hard

What it means

To begin studying hard, usually for an exam or assignment. It's an informal expression used mostly by students about devoting serious time to reading and learning.

Examples

  • Finals are next week, so I really need to hit the books tonight.
  • He stayed home all weekend to hit the books before the test.
  • If you want to pass chemistry, you'd better start hitting the books.
  • After a relaxing summer, the students had to hit the books again.

Where it comes from

An American student slang expression from the early-to-mid 20th century, where 'hit' carries the casual sense of 'get to' or 'tackle' an activity, as in 'hit the road'.

Related idioms

#burn the midnight oil#burn the candle at both ends#no pain, no gain#go the extra mile

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