Synonyms

pits

British

/ pɪts /

plural noun

slang the worst possible person, place, or thing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pits

C20: perhaps shortened from armpits

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If you see those special viewing pits near the stage, the VIP passes do not get you to there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Sunday's run-off in Arcis-sur-Aube pits Hittler against Renault-Zielinski and a third candidate, Annie Soucat.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

And there have been expensive sidelines that were money pits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Wrinkle structures are tiny ridges and pits ranging from millimeters to centimeters across.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

The light in the fake-Darin’s eyes goes out as quickly as a sun in a storm, and his irises darken into black pits, as if his entire body is filled with shadow.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023