hitter

Hitter is a noun that describes a person or thing that hits something. In sports, the term is most commonly used to refer to a batter in baseball and softball, the player who takes turns at bat and attempts to reach base or drive in runs. The word can be used interchangeably with batter in casual usage, though batter is more common in formal or official contexts.

In baseball, a hitter’s performance is tracked with statistics such as batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS (on-base plus slugging). The concept of the designated hitter (DH) refers to a player whose primary role is to bat for the pitcher, rather than field, depending on the league rules. The term hitter thus often appears in reporting and analysis as a generic label for players who bat, regardless of their fielding position.

Outside baseball, the term is less standard in sports terminology. In cricket, for example, the corresponding term is batsman or batter, and in most other sports the word hitter is not an official role. In everyday language, “hard hitter” or “power hitter” is commonly used metaphorically to describe someone who hits with great force or who makes impactful actions, such as in boxing or other combat sports.

Etymology-wise, hitter derives from the verb hit plus the agent-noun suffix -er, signaling the doer of the action. The usage dates to at least the 19th century in baseball contexts, and remains common in journalism and fan discourse as a general descriptor for players who hit.