armpit

American  

[ahrm-pit] / ˈɑrmˌpɪt /

noun

1. the hollow under the arm at the shoulder; axilla.

2. Slang. the worst possible place or area.

   Their car has broken down, stranding them in the armpit of California until it can be fixed.

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armpit British  

/ ˈɑːmˌpɪt /

noun

1. Technical name: axilla.  the small depression beneath the arm where it joins the shoulder

2. slang an extremely unpleasant place

   the armpit of the Mediterranean

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Etymology

Origin of armpit

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; arm ¹ + pit ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Your armpit is the area underneath your upper arm, where it connects to your shoulder. Armpits tend to be smelly, so we would advise to steer clear of an open armpit on a bus or subway. Another common word for armpit is "underarm," while the official anatomical term is axilla. Perhaps because your armpits tend to get sweaty and a little smelly after you exercise, the word armpit is sometimes used as a derogatory term for an unattractive place: "That city is so ugly it's the armpit of New Jersey." Before armpit, the axilla was known as an arm-hole.

Example Sentences

“He lived in Bakersfield, which is the armpit of California,” Hankel says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

The swabs containing odours had been rubbed under the armpit, behind the ear, and between the toes of the owner or stranger.

From BBC • May 28, 2025

The white tee doesn’t sit the same way, or inevitably accumulates a yellowish stain in the armpit crease.

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2024

And its location in the armpit of the 605 and 210 freeways made it easily accessible from anywhere in the Southland.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

I pick up my pocketbook and thrust it up under my armpit.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett