rock-bottom

/'rɔk'bɔtəm/

Thân thiện

Prices hit rock-bottom during the holiday sale.

Definition

Adjective: - Extremely low; at the lowest possible level: Used to describe something, especially a price, value, or emotional state, that has reached its absolute minimum point and cannot go any lower.

Usage

• This adjective is typically used attributively (before a noun) to emphasize that something is at its lowest conceivable point.
• It is often used in economic or financial contexts to describe prices, but can also describe morale, confidence, or other abstract concepts.
• It carries a strong connotation of having fallen to an undesirable or critical low.

Examples

• Attributive use:
  • The company is selling its old inventory at rock-bottom prices to clear space.
  • After the scandal, employee morale hit rock-bottom levels.
  • They bought the house for a rock-bottom sum during the recession.

Advanced Usage

• "to be/hit/reach rock bottom": This is a common idiomatic phrase where "rock bottom" functions as a noun phrase meaning the lowest possible point.
  • After losing his job, he felt he had hit rock bottom.
  • The stock market has finally reached rock bottom and is starting to recover.

Variants and Related Words

• Rock bottom (noun): The absolute lowest level or point.
  • Prices have finally found their rock bottom.

Synonyms

• Lowest: At the bottom; situated below others.
• Bottom: The lowest point or part.
• All-time low: The lowest level ever recorded.

Related Idioms

• "to hit rock bottom": To reach the lowest possible point, often in terms of fortune, emotion, or situation.
  • His addiction caused him to hit rock bottom before he sought help.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. well below normal (especially in price)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• reduced