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.

In Las Vegas, although F1 is the promoter and built the location from scratch, it was decided to devote the entire structure above the pits to the Paddock Club for corporate guests, to maximise income.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Producers roast the rounded hearts of agave plants in fire pits or kilns, then crush and ferment the cooked material before distilling it in smaller batches.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

The clash in a courtroom across the bay from San Francisco pits the world's richest man against a startup that Musk once backed and now competes against in the booming AI sector.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

Centuries ago, they emerged on seaside courses as natural pits and hollows caused by erosion and by animals sheltering from the wind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

It was getting dark and almost everybody was hanging around their barbecue pits where they’d built little fires and were roasting hot dogs or burgers or marshmallows.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

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