nadir
noun
Simple meaning
The lowest point.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
nayderSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈneɪdɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place of observation.
figuratively
The lowest point; time of greatest depression.
astronomy
The axis of a projected conical shadow; the direction of the force of gravity at a location; down.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The lowest point; time of greatest depression.
Used this way, nadir is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
Sense: point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.