line drive: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-MediumSports; Informal
Quick answer
What does “line drive” mean?
A hard-hit baseball or softball that travels relatively straight and fast, not high into the air.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A hard-hit baseball or softball that travels relatively straight and fast, not high into the air.
A ball struck powerfully in a roughly linear trajectory towards the outfield. In metaphorical use, it can refer to something moving swiftly and directly.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is essentially American, given the sport's origin. In British English contexts discussing baseball, the term is adopted as-is. There is no direct British cricket equivalent (though a 'powerful drive' along the ground is conceptually similar).
Connotations
Exclusively associated with baseball in the US. In the UK, it carries a strong connotation of American sport.
Frequency
Common in US sports media and casual baseball talk. Very rare in general UK English outside of discussions of baseball.
Grammar
How to Use “line drive” in a Sentence
[Subject: Batter] + [Verb: hit/smashed] + [Object: a line drive] + [to/at Location][Determiner: That] + [Noun: line drive] + [Verb: was caught/went foul]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “line drive” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The batter lined out to the shortstop.
- He lined the ball into the gap for a double.
American English
- She lined out to the shortstop.
- He lined the ball into the gap for a double.
adjective
British English
- It was a line-drive single up the middle.
- He has a powerful line-drive swing.
American English
- It was a line-drive single up the middle.
- He has a powerful line-drive swing.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, only in sports history or kinesiology papers.
Everyday
Used when discussing or watching baseball/softball.
Technical
Used in baseball statistics (LD%), coaching, and sports commentary to describe batted ball type.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “line drive”
- Using 'line drive' to describe a golf shot (use 'drive' alone).
- Pronouncing 'drive' with a long 'i' as in 'dive' (it's /draɪv/).
- Spelling as one word 'linedrive' (it's two words or hyphenated 'line-drive').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is understood but rarely used in everyday UK English, as it is specific to baseball/softball. In British sports contexts, it would be considered an Americanism.
Yes, in a sporting context. The verb form is usually 'to line' as in 'He lined a single to right field.' The full phrase 'to line drive' is not standard.
A line drive has a low, fast, and relatively flat trajectory. A fly ball is hit much higher into the air, giving fielders more time to get under it.
Yes, phrases like 'hit a rope' or 'hit a screamer' are informal synonyms. The descriptive idiom 'hit it on a line' means to hit the ball very hard without lifting it.
A hard-hit baseball or softball that travels relatively straight and fast, not high into the air.
Line drive is usually sports; informal in register.
Line drive: in British English it is pronounced /laɪn draɪv/, and in American English it is pronounced /laɪn draɪv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hit it on a line”
- “Hit a rope”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LINE drawn directly from the bat to the fielder's glove—the ball DRIVEs along that line.
Conceptual Metaphor
POWER IS FORCE/VELOCITY; A DIRECT PATH IS A LINE.
Practice
Quiz
In baseball, what is the primary characteristic of a 'line drive'?