rock-bottom

adjective rock-bot·tom \ ˈräk-ˈbä-təm \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

Definition of rock-bottom

: being the very lowest

rock-bottom prices

; also : fundamental

the rock-bottom question

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First Known Use of rock-bottom

1884

in the meaning defined above

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rock-bottom Synonyms

rock bottom

noun

Definition of rock bottom

: the lowest or most fundamental part or level

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Examples of rock bottom in a Sentence

After years of heavy drug use, she has finally reached rock bottom.
Their marriage has hit rock bottom.

Recent Examples of rock bottom from the Web

Part 1 can be both captivating and off-putting, depending on how much a viewer enjoys watching a drug user hit rock bottom in a fancy hotel suite.

— hank stuever, chicagotribune.com, "'Patrick Melrose' is the Cumberbatch-iest show ever made - and that's a good thing," 10 May 2018
The day Clint had hit rock bottom and ran into Chip at the gas station, the two hit it off so immediately that Chip invited him and Kelly over to have dinner at their farmhouse a few nights later.

— candace braun davison, House Beautiful, "The World According To Harp," 9 May 2018
The club might have reached rock bottom on their first leg of its six-game West Coast road trip, swept out of Southern California with a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night at Angel Stadium.

— eduardo a. encina, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles fall behind early, are swept out of Anaheim with most lopsided loss of season, 12-3," 4 May 2018
That game might have been rock bottom for Manual, but since then, the Crimsons are undefeated in regulation.

— nate bryan, The Courier-Journal, "Sacred Heart cruises past Male, Manual upends Eastern to advance to Seventh Region final," 1 Mar. 2018
There is an ongoing debate about what constitutes rock bottom for the Browns.

— bud shaw, cleveland.com, "The Cavaliers need to share more than their grievances -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs," 23 Jan. 2018
The Portuguese manager has guided the Swans from rock bottom - five points adrift of their relegation rivals - to 16th position, and currently one point clear of the relegation zone (as of time of writing).

— SI.com, "Carlos Carvalhal Delivers More Brilliant Analogies After Swansea's Win Over Burnley," 11 Feb. 2018
His mantra since 2010 has been jobs, and the state’s unemployment rate is at rock bottom levels.

— anthony man, Sun-Sentinel.com, "7 questions about the epic Rick Scott-Bill Nelson battle for U.S. Senate," 9 Apr. 2018
While Alaskans remain unhappy with the overall state of the economy, public opinion appears to have hit rock bottom.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Chamber: Our polling shows budget, reducing spending are Alaskans’ top priorities," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rock bottom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of rock bottom

1890

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

rock bottom Synonyms

Synonyms

bedrock, bottom, depth, nadir, zero;

Antonyms

acme, apex, climax, crown, culmination, head, height, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith;

Near Antonyms

bloom, flood tide, flower, glory, heyday;

crescendo, high;

cap, ceiling, crest, roof;

Related Words

abyss, armpit, pit;

ROCK-BOTTOM Defined for English Language Learners

rock-bottom

adjective

Definition of rock-bottom for English Language Learners

of a price : very low

rock bottom

noun

Definition of rock bottom for English Language Learners

: the lowest possible level or point

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rock-bottom

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rock bottom

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First Known Use of rock bottom

rock bottom Synonyms

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ROCK-BOTTOM Defined for English Language Learners

rock-bottom

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