Hit the road means to set off on a journey; in conversation, it also means “it's time for me to go”. People use it about the start of a trip, especially by car, and when it is time to leave a party or work. The idiom is conversational: you can use it in IELTS Speaking when you talk about a trip, but in an essay it is better to write set off or leave.
When would you say hit the road?
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hit the road + at/before + time; let's hit the road; I'd better hit the road
- If we hit the road before seven, we'll reach the lake by lunchtime.
- It's getting late and I have work tomorrow, so I'd better hit the road.
- After a quick coffee at the petrol station, we hit the road again.
What changed
First versionWe hit on the road at six to avoid the traffic.
RevisionWe hit the road at six to avoid the traffic.
Because we say on the road, on may seem natural here. But in this idiom, hit takes the road directly, without a preposition. Besides, hit on means something quite different: to think of (hit on an idea) or, informally, to flirt with someone. On was removed; nothing else was changed.
Hit the road names the moment you leave. On the road describes time spent travelling: We were on the road for ten hours. The first answers the question “When did you leave?”, the second “How long were you travelling?”.
Your turn
We've packed the car and filled up the tank, so let's ___ before the traffic gets bad.
Show the answer
hit the road — The car is packed, the tank is full and they want to beat the traffic: it's time to leave, which is hit the road. Hit the roof means to become very angry: My dad hit the roof when he saw the phone bill.
Write about a trip by car, bus or train. Say what time you set off and why you chose that time.
We hit the road at five in the morning because we wanted to reach the mountains before it got too hot.
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