nadir
Other forms: nadirs
If a highly forgetful person loses his phone, his wallet, and then his car keys in separate instances all in one day, you could say that he has reached an organizational nadir. This means “lowest point.”
This was originally strictly an astronomical term and is the opposite of the word zenith, which is the part of the sky located directly above a person’s head or, “high point.” In fact, nadir is derived from the Arabic nazir, which means “opposite to.” It is still used in astronomy to indicate the part of the celestial sphere located directly below an observer, but also more generally to describe the worst point of someone’s life or career.
-
an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
-
synonyms:
low-water mark
-
type of:
-
adversity, hard knocks, hardship
a state of misfortune or affliction
-
adversity, hard knocks, hardship
-
the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
-
antonyms:
-
zenith
the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
-
type of:
-
celestial point
a point in the heavens (on the celestial sphere)
-
zenith
/nəˈdir/
/ˈnʌdɪə/
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing nadir
Looking to build your vocabulary? Then practice this list of 300 "hard words" — the kind that used to be tested on the SAT before 2016. If you're a high school student prepping for the SAT, check out Vocabulary.com's Roadmap to the SAT, which focuses on the vocabulary you'll need to ace today's SAT test.
The shortest day of the year, December 21, gives us an occasion to learn some vocabulary associated with the night sky: the Earth, the stars, and darkness.
The night sky is full of wonders, and this list will help you make sense of what you see. Learn this list and become a vocabulary star!