Meaning & use
money pits
Last updated
“money pits” is a form of “money pit”.
Meaning
nouncountableinformal
Things that keep using up large amounts of money without giving much value back.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'a money pit'. Usually used in the plural when talking about more than one.
Patterns
- be a money pit
- turn into a money pit
- call something a money pit
That old boat is a money pit — we spend more on repairs than we paid for it.
Their new house turned into a money pit after the roof started leaking.
He warned me that classic cars can be money pits if you don't maintain them.
Word forms
| singular | money pit |
|---|
Common combinations
- a real money pit
- The restaurant became a real money pit after the first year.
- turn into a money pit
- The garden project turned into a money pit when they added a pond.
- nothing but a money pit
- The old factory was nothing but a money pit for the owners.
Synonyms and how they differ
- financial drain
- More neutral and slightly formal; it means something that uses up money, but it does not suggest the thing is useless or a bad investment.
- white elephant
- Describes a big, expensive project or object that is useless or hard to sell; a money pit focuses on ongoing repair costs rather than uselessness.
Opposites
Word family
- money noun
- Coins, notes, and bank balances used to buy things.
- pit noun
- A large hole in the ground; here used figuratively for something that swallows money.
Commonly confused: money pits or money pit?
money pits vs money pit
This is just the singular form of the same expression; use 'a money pit' for one thing and 'money pits' for several.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'money pits' correctly?
Choose one answer.
After 'a' you need the singular countable form 'money pit'. Option A mixes 'a' with a plural, option C omits the article, and option D uses a possessive form that makes no sense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “money pits”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.