designated hitter

noun

1

: a baseball player designated at the start of the game to bat in place of the pitcher without causing the pitcher to be removed from the game

2

: representative, substitute

Synonyms

• backup
• cover
• fill-in
• locum tenens
• pinch hitter
• relief
• replacement
• reserve
• stand-in
• sub
• substitute

Examples of designated hitter in a Sentence

you'll have to be my designated hitter in the office while I'm on business trips

Recent Examples on the Web

With two games in tow and just as many triumphs for the Dodgers (which the team hopes to repeat in Game 3 following a shoulder injury for superstar designated hitter Shohei Ohtani), the 2024 World Series is averaging 14.5 million viewers across all networks — its best start in seven years. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024

Yankees designated hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, 34, won the coveted Most Valuable Player Award in the Championship Series. —Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

With two men on following singles in the bottom of the third, Cardinals designated hitter Wilson Contreras struck out swinging on a 95 mph fastball to end the inning. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2024

Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry is making his return to North Texas as an MLB All-Star. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1