To reach the lowest point or level; to experience a period of extreme decline or failure, often followed by a stabilization or, hopefully, recovery. This can apply to various contexts including financial markets, personal finances, physical health, emotional well-being, or even the popularity of a trend. The 'bottom' represents the nadir, the point beyond which further descent is improbable, marking a potential turning point or the onset of improvement, stability, or growth, if the factors causing the bottoming-out are managed correctly. The recovery is not guaranteed however and depends on various factors.
Bottom-out meaning with examples
- The stock market finally bottomed out after a year-long bear market, signaling a potential buying opportunity. Investors were cautiously optimistic. However, the risk of economic downturn remained high, so they waited to see what the future had in store, not completely certain if the bottom was actually the bottom.
- After years of struggling with depression, she hit her personal bottom-out; realizing she needed professional help to recover. It was a dark time in her life but the treatment she received finally started to help her recover after the years of suffering.
- Sales figures for the company bottomed out last quarter, forcing the CEO to restructure its management to turn around. This created uncertainty amongst investors and employees but in the long term, it might be the exact turning point they needed to survive.
- His physical health bottomed out during the marathon as he faced a severe injury. The recovery was long, and difficult, but he finally returned to the sport, demonstrating resilience. Eventually, he would learn from the injury.
- The popularity of that new fashion trend bottomed out quickly after social media deemed it “uncool”. The designers and manufactures had to rethink how to regain their popularity and create something new and fresh.