the pits

Idioms

The worst possible situation, as in Spending your birthday working alone is the pits, or That job is the pits. The allusion in this term is unclear. Some think it refers to coal pits, others to armpits, and still others to the area beside an auto racecourse, also called the pits, where cars are serviced during a race. [Second half of 1900s]

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.

Rosenqvist knew that by the time it returned to the pits, there would hardly be any racing left.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

First, there was the time gained by what Stella called a "huge" first lap out of the pits by Antonelli after his stop.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

In the days of floor trading, those working in the pits needed to be human calculators, instantly assessing how prices fluctuated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Bortoleto missed a chance to start higher because his car broke down on the way back to the pits after the second knockout session.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

“So, things are in the pits for you, and you want company, is that it?”

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

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