Meaning: To study hard, especially for an exam
Hindi: कड़ी मेहनत से पढ़ाई करना
Synonyms: study hard, cram, buckle down
Asked in: SSC CPO 2025 T-1 · SSC MTS 2024 · SSC CPO 2023 T-1 · SSC CHSL 2021 T-1
hit the books in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC MTS 2024 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
He needs to ___________ as his exams are approaching.Answer & explanation
Answer: B) hit the books
Correct answer: hit the books
Explanation:
The sentence is: "He needs to _ as his exams are approaching."
This clearly refers to studying or preparing for exams, so we need an idiom that fits that context.
Let’s examine the options:
• Hit the sack – means to go to bed or sleep → ❌ not related to studying
• Hit the books – means to start studying seriously → ✅ perfectly fits the context
• Bury himself in – this idiom needs an object (e.g., "bury himself in books") → ❌ incomplete
• Learn the ropes – means to learn how to do a job or task → ❌ doesn’t match exam preparation context
Therefore, the best choice is hit the books, which correctly means to begin or continue studying intensely. - SSC CPO 2025 T-1 Idioms & Phrases
Choose the meaning of the idiom 'hit the books' in the sentence:
I have exams tomorrow, so I need to hit the books.Answer & explanation
Answer: B) Start studying seriously
Correct Answer: Option 2 — Start studying seriously
'Hit the books' is an idiom meaning to begin studying; to study hard. In the sentence, the speaker has exams tomorrow and therefore needs to study seriously.
Why the others are wrong:
Option 1 — 'Go to the library' is a literal interpretation; the idiom means to study, not necessarily go to a library.
Option 3 — 'Buy new books' is completely unrelated to the meaning of this idiom.
Option 4 — 'Tear the books' is a nonsensical literal interpretation. - SSC CPO 2023 T-1 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate idiom to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
My final round of Spell Bee Competition is coming up and to win this event, I need to study hard from today.Answer & explanation
Answer: B) hit the books
The most appropriate idiom to substitute the underlined segment "study hard" in the given sentence is: "hit the books"
"Hit the books" is an idiom meaning to study or to engage in serious and focused academic work, especially by reading textbooks or study materials.
Examples
- “I need to hit the books before my final exams.”
hit the books – questions
What is the meaning of hit the books in Hindi?
hit the books means “कड़ी मेहनत से पढ़ाई करना” in Hindi. In English: To study hard, especially for an exam
What are the synonyms of hit the books?
Synonyms of hit the books: study hard, cram, buckle down.
What is the opposite of hit the books?
Antonyms of hit the books: slack off, idle.
Has hit the books been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – hit the books has been asked 4 times in SSC exams: SSC CPO 2025 T-1, SSC MTS 2024, SSC CPO 2023 T-1, SSC CHSL 2021 T-1.