hit rock bottom
to reach an absolute low point
TRANSLATION
hit rock bottom = den Tiefpunkt erreichen (LEO) --- GOOGLE INDEX hit rock bottom: approximately 640,000 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
(Insurance) Carriers were not only competing on price but also on expanded coverage terms that would later prove to be costly. The negative pricing trend continued until late 2000 when the market appeared to HIT ROCK BOTTOM.
(adapted from Risk & Insurance Magazine)
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Natalie Hutchinson's life HIT ROCK BOTTOM in 2002 when she was declared bankrupt, losing her home, her car, and more importantly, her self-esteem. However, her life turned around when a local Country Club offered her the chance to open a small salon.
(adapted from Risk & Insurance Magazine)
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Natalie Hutchinson's life HIT ROCK BOTTOM in 2002 when she was declared bankrupt, losing her home, her car, and more importantly, her self-esteem. However, her life turned around when a local Country Club offered her the chance to open a small salon.
Did you
know?
hit rock bottom
idiomatic phrase
- the lowest possible level
- the most unhappy someone has ever been in their life
(The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
This is a metaphorical expression that refers to either the rocks at the bottom of a body of water - ocean, river or lake - or at the bottom of a hole or pit that is being dug out with a shovel. Thus if something or someone is on a downward slide - a stock's price or a politician's popularity for instance - hitting rock bottom implies reaching a point where you can go no further. As a side note, the bottom of an ocean, river or lake can be referred to as the bed or floor.
Interested in other things that you can hit besides rock bottom? Here are a few more “hit” idioms:
hit it off - to get along well with someone the first time you meet (We hit it off from day one and have been friends since).
hit like a ton of bricks - when someone is surprised or shocked by something (The announcement hit me like a ton of bricks).
hit the ceiling/roof - to suddenly become very angry (He hit the ceiling when he discovered the project was delayed).
hit the brakes - to suddenly slow down or stop a vehicle, though it can be used in a figurative sense as well (The economy hit the brakes in January).
hit the books - to study (your English vocabulary for instance !)
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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The morale in our division hit rock bottom two years ago. But after they hired a new manager, things improved so much that we became the top performers within the company.”
idiomatic phrase
- the lowest possible level
- the most unhappy someone has ever been in their life
(The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
WORD ORIGIN
This is a metaphorical expression that refers to either the rocks at the bottom of a body of water - ocean, river or lake - or at the bottom of a hole or pit that is being dug out with a shovel. Thus if something or someone is on a downward slide - a stock's price or a politician's popularity for instance - hitting rock bottom implies reaching a point where you can go no further. As a side note, the bottom of an ocean, river or lake can be referred to as the bed or floor.
Interested in other things that you can hit besides rock bottom? Here are a few more “hit” idioms:
hit it off - to get along well with someone the first time you meet (We hit it off from day one and have been friends since).
hit like a ton of bricks - when someone is surprised or shocked by something (The announcement hit me like a ton of bricks).
hit the ceiling/roof - to suddenly become very angry (He hit the ceiling when he discovered the project was delayed).
hit the brakes - to suddenly slow down or stop a vehicle, though it can be used in a figurative sense as well (The economy hit the brakes in January).
hit the books - to study (your English vocabulary for instance !)
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The morale in our division hit rock bottom two years ago. But after they hired a new manager, things improved so much that we became the top performers within the company.”
