bottom-feeder

noun

bot·​tom-feed·​er ˈbä-təm-ˌfē-dər How to pronounce bottom-feeder (audio)
Synonyms of bottom-feedernext
1
: a fish that feeds at the bottom
2
: one that is of the lowest status or rank
3
: an opportunist who seeks quick profit usually at the expense of others or from their misfortune
bottom-feeding adjective

Examples of bottom-feeder in a Sentence

that bottom-feeder would run over his own mother if it would help him get ahead in his career
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For nearly the first two decades of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were NFL bottom-feeders. Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025 Chicago is currently mired in a miserable seven-game losing streak, a confounding skid that includes defeats against NBA bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets. Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 The Patriots brutalized their opponent in a way the only other AFC team truly competing for the No. 1 seed did not while facing another NFC East bottom-feeder Sunday night. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025 That game between two NFL bottom-feeders went a long way in determining who would win the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Austin Mock, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025 The Warriors play three of four games at home this week, facing bottom-feeders Phoenix and Sacramento before going on the road to Denver, then returning to Chase Center for a rematch with Indiana. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025 Here are some methods for scraping good music from the data wasteland, organized in a hierarchy from bottom-feeder basics to more sophisticated and ultimately, uhh, harebrained strategies. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025 With the July 31 trade deadline only two weeks beyond the Atlanta All-Star Game, contenders and would-be contenders are eying the rosters of bottom-feeders to fill the few holes on their rosters. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bottom-feeder was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bottom-feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottom-feeder. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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