to hit bottom
21
5.1
- phrasal verb
:
tocar fondo
- After months of struggling, he realized he had hit bottom when he couldn't afford to buy food.
Oftentimes when you hit bottom, you bounce.
- Oftentimes when you hit bottom, you bounce.
- Just as all of a sudden we hit bottom and oil falls and tech boots and the Fed pivots, right?
- You're so lucky you've hit bottom so many times that you this kind of set you on your kind of spiritual quest.
- We, we understand well, we see her hit bottom when she when she climbs up on that railing of a balcony at a New Year's Eve party, I think.
Examples
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After losing his job and going through a difficult breakup, he finally hit bottom and decided to seek help.
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We may have hit bottom, but it'll be a long, slow climb back.
Blog text (32) -
We sort of hit bottom before my mom was willing to do anything.
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One day, about a month ago, I really hit bottom.
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Finally hit rock bottom, huh?
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Often times when you hit bottom, you bounce.
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Most times, alcoholics have to hit bottom before they stop drinking.
Blog text (28) -
In every film, there's a moment when the hero hits rock bottom.
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Well, now that we've hit bottom, there's no place to go but up.
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When she lost her house and her savings, she felt like she had hit bottom before being able to rebuild her life.
Synonyms
23
4.2
To reach the lowest point before starting to improve
22
4.8
To reach the lowest point in your life before you begin to get better
11
5.8
To reach the lowest point before starting to get better
To fall to the lowest point in a situation, for example in money or confidence
Antonyms
How Bad
- Informal
22
4.8
21
5.1
5
4.8
824
2.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to reach the lowest point or worst state' is directly and plausibly derived from combining 'hit' (to strike/reach) with 'bottom' (the lowest point); the image of "hitting the bottom" maps clearly onto reaching a low point. This compositional pattern is common in English and mirrors constructions in other languages (e.g., Spanish 'tocar fondo'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Hit bottom comes from the clear image of something falling until it hits the bottom — the lowest part of a well or the sea. So it means 'to reach the lowest point' or 'to be in the worst state' in life or a situation.