the bottom of the barrel

noun phrase

: the lowest possible condition, level, etc.

After the divorce, Tim felt he had reached/hit the bottom of the barrel.

The excessive coverage of the scandal signals that the news media may have finally hit/reached the bottom of the barrel.

Examples of the bottom of the barrel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Angels are once again at the bottom of the barrel in the AL West with a 40-61 record despite the 3-2 win Monday night. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

His band Porcupine Tree had spent the ’90s paying tribute to all manner of classic ’70s sounds, though often with a modernized studio sheen that attracted contemporary prog acolytes searching for one last drop at the bottom of the barrel. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026

Illinois Republicans must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026

That’s 25 teams, neatly sorted in order just by looking for blowout games, starting with the first-place Avs and working all the way down to the Rangers at the bottom of the barrel. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for the bottom of the barrel

• apparel
• nonpareil
• carol