rock-bottom
rock-bottom — noun
1. the very bottom point that something can fall to, with no room left to drop any
the very bottom point that something can fall to, with no room left to drop any further.
House prices in the town reached rock bottom after the local factory closed.
reach rock bottom for prices/values at their lowest
Sales hit rock bottom in January, and the bakery nearly closed its doors.
hit rock bottom: collocation for a sudden drop to the lowest point
By winter the team's confidence was at rock bottom after eight straight losses.
Ritu watched the value of her shares fall to rock bottom within a single week.
- the lowest point
neutral and more formal than the informal 'rock bottom'
- the bottom
shorter; less emphatic about being the absolute limit
- peak
the highest point rather than the lowest
- all-time high
used of prices or numbers at their highest ever level
文法句型
hit rock bottom
reach rock bottom
at rock bottom
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'hit', 'reach', 'fall to', or 'at'. Distinguish from sense 2 (verb/2): this sense describes prices, numbers, or levels, not a person's mood.
常見錯誤
2. the saddest and most hopeless state a person has ever felt, after which things c
the saddest and most hopeless state a person has ever felt, after which things can only get better.
After losing his job and his home, Christopher felt he had hit rock bottom.
hit rock bottom: lowest emotional point in someone's life
Talia reached rock bottom during the months she spent alone in a strange city.
reach rock bottom for an emotional low point
The counsellor said many people only ask for help once they hit rock bottom.
Walid was at rock bottom after the divorce, but his friends slowly pulled him back.
- the depths of despair
more literary and dramatic than the everyday 'rock bottom'
- one's lowest point
neutral; works in both formal and informal writing
- on top of the world
feeling as happy and successful as possible
文法句型
hit rock bottom
reach rock bottom
用法筆記
Subject is a person, and the meaning is about feelings, not numbers. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about prices, sales, or measurable levels.
常見錯誤
rock-bottom — adjective
1. as low as it could possibly be, used especially about a price or cost that canno
as low as it could possibly be, used especially about a price or cost that cannot go any lower.
The market stall sold ripe mangoes at rock-bottom prices every Sunday morning.
rock-bottom prices: the most common collocation
Élise booked the flight at a rock-bottom fare during the airline's autumn sale.
rock-bottom + noun, placed before the noun it describes
Workers complained about rock-bottom wages that barely covered the monthly rent.
Ignacio bought the old van for a rock-bottom price and fixed it himself.
文法句型
rock-bottom prices
rock-bottom + noun
用法筆記
Used before a noun, not after 'be'. Most often pairs with words about cost: 'price', 'fare', 'wage', 'rate'.