Nadir

The term 'nadir' has two primary meanings. Firstly, in astronomy, the Nadir is the point on the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and directly below the observer. Imagine a straight line extending from your feet through the Earth and out into space; that point in space is the nadir. Secondly, and more commonly in everyday language, the Nadir signifies the lowest point, a state of despair, adversity, or degradation. It represents the absolute bottom, the worst possible situation or moment in a series of events or a person's life. Think of it as the rock bottom or the all-time low.

Nadir meaning with examples

• After suffering a series of business failures and personal losses, John reached the Nadir of his life, feeling completely hopeless and lost, without any money and few friends left.
• The company's stock price plummeted to its Nadir during the financial crisis, causing widespread panic among investors and forcing the leadership to consider filing for bankruptcy.
• The environmental disaster was the Nadir of the region's environmental policy, prompting calls for significant reforms and stricter regulations to prevent similar catastrophes.
• Following the initial excitement of the project's launch, morale within the team hit a Nadir when faced with repeated setbacks, resource depletion, and constantly looming deadlines.