hit-or-miss
Unpredictably good or bad
Hit-or-miss describes something inconsistent or unpredictable in quality or success.
Results vary randomly rather than following a pattern: The service at that restaurant is hit-or-miss.
The phrase suggests leaving outcomes to chance rather than careful planning: His study habits were hit-or-miss, so his grades fluctuated wildly.
Likelihood of occurrence
- luckChance affecting outcomes
- fortuneWealth or destiny
- randomOccurring without pattern
- toss-upOutcome with equal chances
fifty-fifty · lottery · gamble · roulette · odds · probability · crapshoot · potluck
Lacking regularity or consistency
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
- unevenNot smooth or balanced
- patchyIrregular in coverage
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
variable · fluctuating · intermittent · spotty · fitful · inconsistent · unreliable · undependable
Hasty and careless
- slipshodCareless and hasty
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- unmethodicalLacking orderly procedure
- unsystematicLacking methodical arrangement
unplanned · disorganized · aimless · helter-skelter · willy-nilly · scattered · chaotic · improvised
Uncertain, questionable
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- questionableOf uncertain validity
- unreliableNot consistently performing
- uncertainNot firmly known
unpredictable · untrustworthy · dubious · dicey · chancy · risky · speculative · tentative
chance
Likelihood of occurrence
toss-up · fifty-fifty · lottery · gamble · roulette · odds · probability · crapshoot · potluck · grab-bag
erratic
Lacking regularity or consistency
irregular · variable · fluctuating · intermittent · spotty · fitful · inconsistent · unreliable · undependable · scattershot
slapdash
Hasty and careless
- slipshodCareless and hasty
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- unmethodicalLacking orderly procedure
unsystematic · unplanned · disorganized · aimless · helter-skelter · willy-nilly · scattered · chaotic · improvised · casual
iffy
Uncertain, questionable
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- questionableOf uncertain validity
- unreliableNot consistently performing
uncertain · unpredictable · untrustworthy · dubious · dicey · chancy · risky · speculative · tentative · unsure
hit-or-missconsistent
Not varying or contradicting
reliable · dependable · steady · predictable · uniform
hit-or-misssystematic
Following ordered procedures
methodical · deliberate · organized · planned · orderly
miss, hitting, hits, hitter, smash hit, hitters, overhit, mis-hit