pit
/pɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [pˈɪt] /pɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [pˈɪt] /ˈpit/ (ame, mw)
pit — noun
- pitsingular
- pitsplural
1. a deep, often wide hole that has been dug into the ground or that has formed nat
a deep, often wide hole that has been dug into the ground or that has formed naturally below the surrounding surface.
The workers dug a deep pit at the bottom of the garden to bury old tree roots.
dig + a pit + (in location)
Maya almost stepped into a muddy pit hidden under the fallen leaves.
fall / step into a pit
Around the campfire, the children roasted marshmallows over a shallow pit lined with stones.
Heavy rain had washed soil into the pit, turning it into a brown pool.
The old farmhouse had a small storage pit dug under the kitchen floor.
- mound
raised heap of earth, the opposite shape
文法句型
a pit + (in/of) + something
用法筆記
Often takes a descriptive adjective of size or shape (deep, shallow, wide, gaping) and pairs with verbs of action (dig, fall into, climb out of). Frequently appears in compounds like fire pit, storage pit, gravel pit.
常見錯誤
2. a place, usually underground, where coal or other minerals are removed from the
a place, usually underground, where coal or other minerals are removed from the earth, together with the buildings and machines used for that work.
Marcus's grandfather worked in a coal pit in Yorkshire for nearly forty years.
work in + a (coal) pit
After the strike, three local pits were closed and the village lost most of its jobs.
pit + closed / shut
Many young men went down the pit at sixteen to support their families.
Safety lamps helped miners spot dangerous gas in the deep tin pits of Cornwall.
文法句型
work in / down a pit
用法筆記
Mainly British. Common in 'go down the pit' (= work as a miner) and in compounds like coal pit, tin pit, gravel pit. American English usually prefers 'mine' for the underground sense and keeps 'pit' for open-surface workings.
3. the marked space beside a race track where cars stop briefly so that mechanics c
the marked space beside a race track where cars stop briefly so that mechanics can refuel them, change tyres, and make small repairs.
Hamilton drove into the pits on lap twenty to change all four tyres.
drive / go into the pits
The mechanics waited in the pit with fresh tyres and a fuel hose ready.
wait / work in the pit
A slow stop in the pits cost the Ferrari driver his lead in the final laps.
Television cameras showed the team crew running back to the pit wall after a chaotic stop.
文法句型
go into / come out of the pits
用法筆記
Typically plural ('the pits') when referring to the whole working area, singular for a particular team's slot. Appears in many fixed compounds: pit lane, pit wall, pit crew, pit stop. The compound 'pit stop' has also extended into everyday speech to mean any short break on a long journey (for fuel, food, or the toilet).
4. the single hard seed in the centre of fruits such as peaches, plums, cherries, a
the single hard seed in the centre of fruits such as peaches, plums, cherries, and avocados; in British English this is usually called the 'stone'.
Lina bit into the cherry too quickly and almost cracked a tooth on the pit.
bite on / crack a tooth on the pit
Carlos cut around the avocado and lifted out the smooth brown pit with a spoon.
remove / lift out + the pit
Please don't swallow the peach pit — give it to me on this little plate.
After the picnic, a small pile of olive pits sat on a paper napkin between them.
文法句型
the pit of + fruit
用法筆記
American English term; British English speakers use 'stone' for the same thing (peach stone, cherry stone). The verb 'pit' (sense verb/2) is built on this noun.
常見錯誤
5. the lowered space in a theatre, just below the front of the stage, where the mus
the lowered space in a theatre, just below the front of the stage, where the musicians sit and play during an opera, ballet, or musical.
From the front row, Sophie could see the conductor waving his baton in the pit.
in the (orchestra) pit
Twenty musicians squeezed into the narrow pit below the stage of the old opera house.
musicians + in / below + pit
Soft clarinet music drifted up from the pit while the dancers walked into position.
After the final song, the cast bowed and pointed down to thank the players in the pit.
- orchestra pit
the full and clearer term for the same space
- stage
the raised area where the actors or dancers perform, just above the pit
文法句型
in / from the pit
用法筆記
Almost always called the 'orchestra pit' in full when there is any chance of confusion. In older British theatres 'the pit' could also mean the cheap seats on the ground floor — that historical use is rare today.
6. a room or building that is so messy, dirty, or untidy that it feels unpleasant t
a room or building that is so messy, dirty, or untidy that it feels unpleasant to be in — used as an exaggeration.
Your bedroom is a pit, Daniel — I can't even see the carpet anymore.
predicative: be a pit
After the party, the kitchen looked like a pit, with empty bottles on every surface.
look / become like a pit
Mum says she won't drive me anywhere until I clean up this pit of a room.
The student flat was a real pit by the end of exam week.
文法句型
a (real) pit
用法筆記
Informal and exaggerated; usually used by parents, flatmates, or about one's own space. Common pattern: 'this pit of a + room/kitchen/flat'. Distinguish from sense 7 (something low-quality in general): sense 6 is specifically about physical mess.
7. (in the phrase 'the pits') someone or something so bad, boring, or disappointing
(in the phrase 'the pits') someone or something so bad, boring, or disappointing that nothing seems worse.
Working night shifts over Christmas is honestly the pits.
be + the pits (subject = activity)
Lina said the new café was the pits — cold coffee and rude staff.
be the pits + reason
Lina said losing her train tickets at the gate was the pits of her whole vacation.
Marcus thought their hotel was the pits and asked for a refund the next morning.
- the best
direct opposite, also informal
文法句型
be the pits
用法筆記
Always plural and always with 'the': 'is/are the pits'. Informal and somewhat dated in British English; still common in American conversation. Distinguish from sense 6 (a place that is physically dirty): sense 7 is a general 'worst' judgement, not about mess.
常見錯誤
pit — verb
- pitpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pits3rd person singular
- pitting-ing form
- pittedpast simple
1. to place two people, teams, ideas, or forces in a contest so that they have to c
to place two people, teams, ideas, or forces in a contest so that they have to compete with or fight each other.
The semi-final pits last year's champion against a young player from Brazil.
pit X against Y (active)
The new policy pits small farmers against large supermarket chains for the same shoppers.
pit + group + against + group
Sophie was pitted against her older brother in the chess tournament's first round.
The film pits human courage against a storm that destroys whole towns in minutes.
Reporters love a debate that pits two strong personalities against each other on live television.
- match
neutral; suggests a fair pairing rather than open conflict
- set against
very close in meaning; slightly more general
- oppose
more formal; subject is usually a person taking a side
文法句型
pit + someone/something + against + someone/something
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'against'. Often used in passive ('be pitted against'). Subjects are typically organisers, situations, or events — not the competitors themselves. Common in sports reports, politics, and reviews of films and books.
常見錯誤
2. to take the hard seed out of a piece of fruit such as a cherry, plum, olive, or
to take the hard seed out of a piece of fruit such as a cherry, plum, olive, or peach so that the soft flesh can be eaten or cooked.
Carlos pitted two cups of cherries before adding them to the pie filling.
pit + quantity + fruit
A small kitchen tool can pit olives quickly without crushing the soft flesh.
tool / device + pit + fruit
Please rinse and pit the plums before you put them in the freezer bag.
The recipe says to halve and pit six ripe peaches, then grill them cut-side down.
文法句型
pit + fruit
用法筆記
Mainly American; British recipes usually say 'stone the cherries / remove the stones'. Object is always a stone fruit or olives — not apples or grapes. Built on the noun sense 4 ('fruit stone').
常見錯誤
3. to leave many small holes or shallow scars on a surface, or (of a surface) to de
to leave many small holes or shallow scars on a surface, or (of a surface) to develop such marks over time, usually because of damage, disease, or wear.
Years of acid rain had pitted the stone faces of the cathedral statues.
active transitive: pit + surface
The old road was pitted with deep potholes after the long winter.
passive: be pitted with + noun
Marcus's cheeks were lightly pitted from the chickenpox he had as a child.
Cheap copper pots can pit quickly if you leave acidic sauces sitting in them overnight.
- smooth
as a verb, the opposite action — to make a surface even
文法句型
pit + surface
be pitted with + something
surface + pits
用法筆記
Most often in the passive ('be pitted with') describing a damaged surface — roads, walls, metal, or skin. The intransitive use ('this metal pits easily') belongs to technical writing about materials. Distinguish from verb sense 1 (set against): sense 3 always involves a physical surface, never a contest.