: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer
2
: the lowest point
Illustration of nadir
1 nadir
2 observer
3 zenith
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Nadir Has Arabic Roots
Nadir is part of the galaxy of scientific words that have come to us from Arabic, a language that has made important contributions to the English lexicon especially in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry. The source of nadir is naḍhīr, meaning "opposite"—the opposite, that is, of the zenith, the highest point of the celestial sphere which is positioned vertically above the observer. (The word zenith itself is a modification of another Arabic word that means "the way over one's head.") According to our sources, usage of nadir reached an apex in the 1980s. But worry not for the word’s future: it’s still flying high.
Nantucket reached its nadir in the post-Civil War period. The whaling industry had become moribund, many New Englanders had been lured to California by the discovery of gold, and the island population dropped from ten thousand in 1830 to scarcely more than three thousand in 1880.—David H. Wood, Antiques, August 1995But then, at the very nadir of that dark abandoned moment, that moment of despair and sickness unto death, …—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993My nadir was the time I presented an oral book report on "Les Misérables," having read only the Classic Comics version …—Stephen Jay Gould, New York Times Book Review, 12 Oct. 1986
The relationship between the two countries reached a nadir in the 1920s.
the discussion really reached its nadir when people resorted to name-calling
Recent Examples on the WebOver the course of the ‘90s, the band derided as the nadir of grunge came into their own as glammy classic rock revivalists with one of the era’s most talented and charismatic lead singers.—Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 June 2024 In 2021, seen as the nadir of the rebuild, Baltimore went 20-56 against the division.—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024 Last year marked a nadir: Twelve horses died at Churchill Downs in the days just before and after the Derby, and 13 more at the Saratoga Race Course over that summer.—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024 Electricity grids are designed so that even if the network loses its largest generator, running at full output, the other generators can pick up the additional load and the frequency nadir never falls below a specific threshold.—Benjamin Kroposki, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nadir
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nadir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Middle French, from Arabic naḍhīr opposite
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