Illustration of nadir
- 1 nadir
- 2 observer
- 3 zenith
1
: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer
2
: the lowest point
Did you know?
Nadir Has Arabic Roots
Nadir is part of the galaxy of scientific words that have come to us from Arabic, a language that has made important contributions to the English lexicon especially in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry. The source of nadir is naḍhīr, meaning "opposite"—the opposite, that is, of the zenith, the highest point of the celestial sphere which is positioned vertically above the observer. (The word zenith itself is a modification of another Arabic word that means "the way over one's head.") According to our sources, usage of nadir reached an apex in the 1980s. But worry not for the word’s future: it’s still flying high.
Examples of nadir in a Sentence
Nantucket reached its nadir in the post-Civil War period. The whaling industry had become moribund, many New Englanders had been lured to California by the discovery of gold, and the island population dropped from ten thousand in 1830 to scarcely more than three thousand in 1880.
—
David H. Wood, Antiques, August 1995
But then, at the very nadir of that dark abandoned moment, that moment of despair and sickness unto death, …
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
My nadir was the time I presented an oral book report on "Les Misérables," having read only the Classic Comics version …
—Stephen Jay Gould, New York Times Book Review, 12 Oct. 1986
The relationship between the two countries reached a nadir in the 1920s.
the discussion really reached its nadir when people resorted to name-calling
David H. Wood, Antiques, August 1995
But then, at the very nadir of that dark abandoned moment, that moment of despair and sickness unto death, …
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
My nadir was the time I presented an oral book report on "Les Misérables," having read only the Classic Comics version …
—Stephen Jay Gould, New York Times Book Review, 12 Oct. 1986
The relationship between the two countries reached a nadir in the 1920s.
the discussion really reached its nadir when people resorted to name-calling
Recent Examples on the Web
As a result, stars appeared in 80% of games broadcasted on the league’s network partners in 2024-25, marking two consecutive seasons over 80% for the first time since 2016-17, and a big bump from the nadir of 67% in 2021-22.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
At the nadir of the 2007 to 2009 bear market, the S&P 500 had suffered losses of more than 50%.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
During the nadir of his grief and court cases, Sheeran lost some of his joy for music making.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
Some three years and a voice-altering throat surgery later, John came back from the nadir of Leather Jackets with a strong comeback contender, Reg Strikes Back.
—Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nadir
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
At the nadir of the 2007 to 2009 bear market, the S&P 500 had suffered losses of more than 50%.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
During the nadir of his grief and court cases, Sheeran lost some of his joy for music making.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
Some three years and a voice-altering throat surgery later, John came back from the nadir of Leather Jackets with a strong comeback contender, Reg Strikes Back.
—Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nadir
Cite this Entry
“Nadir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nadir. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nadir
noun
na·dir
ˈnā-ˌdi(ə)r 
ˈnād-ər
1
: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and directly under the observer
2
: the lowest point
our hopes reached their nadir
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share