Words / C2

NAYD-eer/ˈneɪdɪə/

Nadir means the lowest point of a process, fortune, or mood (formal): the nadir of his career, hit a nadir. Bottom is everyday; zenith (already in the dictionary) is the opposite — the high point. Do not call a planned, minuted pause a nadir merely because it is quiet.

Meaning

The lowest point of a process, career, or mood (formal).

Examples

• “The clinic hit its nadir when the spare key was cut and not replaced.”
• “Bottom is everyday. Zenith is the peak (already in C2). A trough in a chart is a cousin. One bad week with a named recovery date is a dip. Cutting the spare key and leaving the post empty is a nadir.”

Good to know

Lowest point (formal). Everyday: bottom. Opposite: zenith (already in this dictionary). A planned pause is not a collapse.

Near in meaning

bottom

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