Pit — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈpit/

Meaning & Definition of Pit

Pit (noun)

  1. a hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground
  2. mine
  3. a scooped-out place used for burning something (such as charcoal)
  4. the stone of a drupaceous fruit

Pit (verb)

  1. to place, cast, bury, or store in a pit
  2. to make pits in; especially, to scar or mark with pits
  3. to set (fighting birds, such as gamecocks) into or as if into a pit to fight
  4. to remove the pit from (a fruit)

Pit (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a sunken area forming a separate space

    "removal of the tree stump left a gaping pit in the yard"

    similar: cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, hollow, indentation, indenture, recess
    related: burrow, cave, cavern, ditch, excavation, furrow, groove, gutter, trench, trough, basin, bowl, valley, alcove, cleft, niche, nook, opening, socket, alveolus, dimple, gouge, impression, imprint, notch, pocket, borehole, chuckhole, crater, posthole, pothole, sinkhole, wallow, water hole, well, abyss, chasm, gulf, vacuity, vacuum, void
    opposite: bulge, camber, convexity, jut, projection, protrusion, protuberance
    near: hill, mound, rise, bump, bunch, hump, lump, pimple, swell, swelling, tumor

Pit (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in dent

    similar: dent, bend, kink, coarsen, rumple, wrinkle, rough, roughen
    opposite: even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, smoothen, clip, crop, pare, prune, shave, trim, lay, press, spread

Related Entry: Pit-a-pat (verb)

Pit-a-pat is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit-a-pat, not for pit.

  1. to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner

    "her heart pit-a-patted with surprise"

    similar: beat, palpitate, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb
    related: fluctuate, oscillate, vibrate, quiver, tremble

Related Entry: Pit bull (noun)

Pit bull is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit bull, not for pit.

  1. an aggressive and fiercely determined person

    "a pit bull who won't let anyone stand in her way to the top of the corporate ladder"

    similar: barracuda, fire-breather, fire-eater, tiger
    related: attack dog, hatchet man, aggressor, bully, shark, go-getter, hustler, live wire, self-starter, battler, fighter, scrapper, diehard, militant
    opposite: milquetoast
    near: pushover, pussycat, reed, softy, weakling, wimp

Related Entry: Pit viper (noun)

Pit viper is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit viper, not for pit.

  1. as in horned viper, diamondback rattlesnake

    similar: adder, anaconda, asp, black racer, blacksnake, blue racer, boa, bull snake, bushmaster, chicken snake, cobra, constrictor, copperhead, coral snake, cottonmouth moccasin, diamondback rattlesnake, fer-de-lance, garter snake, gopher snake, green snake, hognose snake, horned viper, indigo snake, king cobra, king snake, krait, mamba, milk snake, moccasin, pine snake, puff adder, python, racer, rat snake, rattlesnake, sea serpent, sea snake, sidewinder, taipan, water moccasin, water snake, worm snake, serpent, snake, viper

Related Entry: Pit vipers (noun)

Pit vipers is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit vipers, not for pit.

  1. as in horned vipers, diamondback rattlesnakes

    similar: adders, anacondas, asps, black racers, blacksnakes, blue racers, boas, bull snakes, bushmasters, chicken snakes, cobras, constrictors, copperheads, coral snakes, cottonmouth moccasins, diamondback rattlesnakes, fer-de-lance, garter snakes, gopher snakes, green snakes, hognose snakes, horned vipers, indigo snakes, king cobras, king snakes, kraits, mambas, milk snakes, moccasins, pine snakes, puff adders, pythons, racers, rat snakes, rattlesnakes, sea serpents, sea snakes, sidewinders, taipans, water moccasins, water snakes, worm snakes, serpents, snakes, vipers

Related Entry: Pit-a-patted (verb)

Pit-a-patted is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit-a-patted, not for pit.

  1. to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner

    "her heart pit-a-patted with surprise"

    similar: beat, palpitated, pitter-pattered, pulsated, pulsed, throbbed
    related: fluctuated, oscillated, vibrated, quivered, trembled

Related Entry: Pit bulls (noun)

Pit bulls is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit bulls, not for pit.

  1. an aggressive and fiercely determined person

    "a pit bull who won't let anyone stand in her way to the top of the corporate ladder"

    similar: barracuda, fire-breathers, fire-eaters, tigers
    related: attack dogs, hatchet men, aggressors, bullies, sharks, go-getters, hustlers, live wires, self-starters, battlers, fighters, scrappers, diehards, militants
    opposite: milquetoasts
    near: pushovers, pussycats, reeds, softies, weaklings, wimps

Related Entry: Pit-a-pats (verb)

Pit-a-pats is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit-a-pats, not for pit.

  1. to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner

    "her heart pit-a-patted with surprise"

    similar: beats, palpitates, pitter-patters, pulsates, pulses, throbs
    related: fluctuates, oscillates, vibrates, quivers, trembles

Related Entry: Pit-a-patting (verb)

Pit-a-patting is a different word from Pit. The synonyms below are for pit-a-patting, not for pit.

  1. to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner

    "her heart pit-a-patted with surprise"

    similar: beating, palpitating, pitter-pattering, pulsating, pulsing, throbbing
    related: fluctuating, oscillating, vibrating, quivering, trembling

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pit

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pit:

cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, hollow, indentation, indenture, recess, bend, kink, coarsen, rumple, wrinkle, rough, roughen

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pit

Words with the opposite meaning of Pit:

bulge, camber, convexity, jut, projection, protrusion, protuberance, even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, smoothen, clip, crop, pare, prune, shave, trim, lay, press, spread

Related Words for Pit

burrow, cave, cavern, ditch, excavation, furrow, groove, gutter, trench, trough, basin, bowl, valley, alcove, cleft, niche, nook, opening, socket, alveolus, dimple, gouge, impression, imprint, notch, pocket, borehole, chuckhole, crater, posthole

Near Antonyms of Pit

hill, mound, rise, bump, bunch, hump, lump, pimple, swell, swelling, tumor

Word Forms of Pit

Inflections: pitted, pitting

Origin & Etymology of Pit

Middle English, from Old English pytt (akin to Old High German pfuzzi well), from Latin puteus well, pit

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Pit

Words & Phrases Containing Pit

pit-a-pat, pit boss, pit bull, pit saw, pit stop

Frequently Asked Questions about Pit

What does "Pit" mean?

"Pit" means a hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pit"?

Other words for "Pit" include cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, hollow and indentation. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pit" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pit"?

There are 58 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pit". Common alternatives include cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, hollow, indentation, indenture and recess.

What is the opposite of "Pit"?

Antonyms of "Pit" include bulge, camber, convexity, jut, projection, protrusion, protuberance and even. Near antonyms include hill, mound, rise and bump.

How do you use "Pit" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pit" in a sentence: "removal of the tree stump left a gaping pit in the yard".

Is "Pit" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Pit" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Pit" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Pit" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Pit"?

"Pit" is pronounced /ˈpit/.