rock-bottom

1 of 2

adjective

rock-bot·​tom ˈräk-ˈbä-təm How to pronounce rock-bottom (audio)
: being the very lowest
rock-bottom prices
also : fundamental
the rock-bottom question

rock bottom

2 of 2

noun

: the lowest or most fundamental part or level

Examples of rock-bottom in a Sentence

Noun After years of heavy drug use, she has finally reached rock bottom. Their marriage has hit rock bottom.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
That’s true in this Midwestern manufacturing town overflowing with well-paying jobs, rock-bottom unemployment and some of the lowest gas, food and housing prices in the nation. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 The German marque’s stylish 4×4, which also tips the scales at over 7,000, earned a rock-bottom score of 20, which was the lowest score from any of the 1,200 vehicles the group looked at. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 With an initial public offering looming, the fast-fashion merchant Shein is inundating Instagram with ads for clothes and accessories at rock-bottom prices. Mike Isaac, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 There’s no love lost for the gig economy as a whole, which seems to exist solely to humiliate folks already below a rock-bottom financial status. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 While more homes typically hit the market in the spring, many homeowners that have locked in a mortgage rate well below where rates are today may opt to stay put rather than give up their rock-bottom rates. Alex Veiga, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 The credit card index peaked at 74% confidence in October 2020, a moment of rock-bottom interest rates and federal stimulus relief. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 Fisher is dubious that emulating Walmart’s rock-bottom pricing will be effective. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024 As Chinese consumers became thriftier in 2023 in the face of economic uncertainty, its formula of rock-bottom prices and frequent coupons and rewards caught fire with middle-class Chinese shoppers. Drew Bernstein, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
Bloom Nutrition In 2019, Mari Llewellyn hit rock bottom, both mentally and physically. Meimei Fox, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 In recent years, trust between Washington and Beijing has hit rock bottom. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Feb. 2024 The Lions hit rock bottom in 2008, becoming the NFL's first 0-16 team, during the worst nine-season stretch in the league since World War II. Larry Lage, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 The Orioles traded away Manny Machado in 2018, lost the most games in the majors over a four-year span, and hit rock bottom during a 19-game losing streak in 2021. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 Interest in this particular Trader Joe’s product may have hit rock bottom, so to speak. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 And the show cuts several sequences from the film, including a sensationalist scene in which Joe, at rock bottom, is committed to a sanitarium, wrapped in a straitjacket and pinned down as orderlies sedate him. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 And, right at the center of it all, a friendship-turned-rivalry that only gets more heated when one band’s trajectory starts going up, up, up, and the other makes a rapid beeline for rock bottom. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024 Back then interest rates were still at rock bottom, inflation was deemed transitory and the market rewarded growth above profits. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rock-bottom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1884, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rock-bottom was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near rock-bottom

Cite this Entry

“Rock-bottom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock-bottom. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rock bottom

noun
: the lowest point or level
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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