nadir

[ ney-der, ney-deer ]

/ ˈneɪ dər, ˈneɪ dɪər /

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noun

Astronomy. the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath a given position or observer and diametrically opposite the zenith.

Astrology. the point of a horoscope opposite the midheaven: the cusp of the fourth house.

the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair.

OTHER WORDS FOR nadir

3 bottom, floor, foot, depths.

See synonyms for nadir on Thesaurus.com

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of nadir

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English nadir, nader, nadair, from Middle French nadir “point opposite the zenith,” from Medieval Latin nadir “point opposite the sun,” from Arabic naẓīr (as-samt) “opposite (the zenith)”; see also zenith

OTHER WORDS FROM nadir

na·dir·al, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nadir

nadir , zenith

Words nearby nadir

Nader, Nader, Ralph, NADH, Nadi, Nadine, nadir, nadors, NADP, NADPH, nads, nae

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nadir in a sentence

The nadir of a year riddled with uncertainty, stress and tumult might arrive in early November, when an unusual presidential contest spurs a multistate fight over absentee ballots and confirmed results.
Most Americans understand that we probably won’t see a winner on election night|Philip Bump|September 23, 2020|Washington Post
At their nadir in April, total hours worked were 16% lower than January in both countries.
Despite wildly different approaches, the US and UK are seeing identical declines in hours worked|Dan Kopf|September 17, 2020|Quartz
Raniere represents a true nadir of sociopathy, and there is no moral equivalency between his worst crimes and short-con financial grifters.
HBO’s new sex cult doc has big lessons for investors|dzanemorris|September 2, 2020|Fortune
Yet its trade position has also fueled the nation’s currency, which soared almost 30% from a nadir in March.
A country that escaped a recession in 2008 is officially in one now|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 2, 2020|Fortune

Tech stocks’ huge share of the index is both a result of and an explanation for the S&P 500’s rebound of more than 50% since its nadir during March’s historic, coronavirus-induced correction.
‘It’s clicks versus bricks’: Why tech stocks won’t be fading anytime soon|reymashayekhi|August 17, 2020|Fortune
Plus, this sorry excuse for a show represents a sort of cultural nadir when it comes to reality television.
'Sex Box,' a Reality TV Show Where Couples Have Sex in a Box and Discuss It, Is Coming to America|Marlow Stern|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The stock market has gone nuts, more than doubling since its March 2009 nadir.
Why Didn't Obama Tout How Great the Economy Is Doing?|Daniel Gross|January 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Worse even than what I consider his nadir thus far, the 2011 debt-ceiling fiasco.
Will Obama Learn the Right Lesson From the Summers Debacle?|Michael Tomasky|September 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At its nadir, on September 4, 2012, Facebook closed below $18.
Facebook Stock Pushes Above $40|Sarah Langs|August 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The debt debacle of 2011 was far and away the nadir of his first term.
Michael Tomasky on Obama’s Republican Revenge Over the Debt Limit|Michael Tomasky|December 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is made famous through its connection with an act of cruelty on the part of Sheikh Nadir.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
She was a daughter of the House of Nadir Shah, burning with the traditional ambitions of her family.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year|Edwin Emerson
Ingulfus mentions at the same time a nadir, as he calls it, or planetarium, executed in various metals.
View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Henry Hallam
Infinity lay between the end of December and the end of January; in a month his spirits had risen from nadir to zenith.
To Him That Hath|Leroy Scott
Life becomes awful by its reaches: its span from zenith to nadir, by moral parallax.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 13, No. 76, February, 1864|Various

British Dictionary definitions for nadir

nadir

/ (ˈneɪdɪə, ˈnæ-) /

noun

the point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer and diametrically opposite the zenith

the lowest or deepest point; depthsthe nadir of despair

Word Origin for nadir

C14: from Old French, from Arabic nazīr as-samt, literally: opposite the zenith

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for nadir

nadir

[ nā′dər ]

The point on the celestial sphere that is directly below the observer (90 degrees below the celestial horizon). Compare zenith.

nadir

OTHER WORDS FOR nadir

Origin of nadir

OTHER WORDS FROM nadir

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nadir

Words nearby nadir

Words related to nadir

How to use nadir in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nadir

Word Origin for nadir

Scientific definitions for nadir