nadir

Meanings

1. 1nounusually singularfigurative

   The worst or lowest point in a situation, period of time, or person's fortunes, after which things may improve.

   Grammar: Usually used with the: the nadir of her career, not a nadir of her career.

   Patterns

   • the nadir of something
   • reach a nadir
   • hit the nadir

   The team's morale reached its nadir after the fifth straight defeat.

   For many families, the winter of 2009 was the nadir of the recession.

   She says the nadir of her illness came in the second week.

2. 2nounusually singulartechnical

   The point in the sky directly below an observer, on the opposite side of the celestial sphere from the zenith.

   Grammar: Used with the: the nadir is the point beneath your feet.

   Patterns

   • the nadir of something

   Astronomers define the nadir as the point straight down from where the observer stands.

   The satellite camera points toward the nadir to photograph the ground below.

Word forms

Common combinations

reach a nadir

Public trust in the bank reached a nadir during the scandal.

the nadir of someone's career

That film was the nadir of his career.

hit a nadir

Sales hit a nadir in January.

at its nadir

At its nadir, the town had almost no jobs left.

Synonyms and how they differ

low point

Plainer and more everyday; nadir sounds more dramatic and suggests the very lowest point.

rock bottom

Informal and suggests a person has sunk as far as possible, whereas nadir is neutral and formal.

trough

Describes the low part of a cycle, often economic, and implies a rise follows.

Opposites

Word family

nadiral adjective

relating to the nadir, used in astronomy and satellite imaging

Commonly confused: nadir or zenith?

Practice

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