hit the nail on the head

idiom/hɪt ðə neɪl ɒn ðə hɛd/ 🔊 listen

Hit the nail on the head means to describe or identify something with perfect accuracy. When someone says this to you, it means you were exactly right.

📖 Meanings

1to describe or do something with perfect accuracy
"You really hit the nail on the head with that comment." — Your comment was exactly right.
2to identify the exact cause of a problem
"She hit the nail on the head — that's exactly the issue." — She identified the problem perfectly.

🔄 Related expressions

spot on →exactly right →bullseye →

💬 Common patterns

hit the nail on the headyou really hit itthat hits the nail
❓ Someone says "You hit the nail on the head!" What does this mean?