bottom
A1Neutral to Informal (when referring to buttocks).
Definition
Meaning
The lowest part or point of something; the part on which something rests.
The farthest point, the end; the underlying basis or root of something; a person's buttocks; in sports, the lower half of a batting order or team.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Core meaning is spatial ('lowest part'); extended to abstract ('bottom of the list'), personal ('bottom of the class'), and anatomical (informal for buttocks).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
As a verb 'to bottom out' (reach lowest point) is common in both. 'Bottom' as underwear ('pyjama bottoms') is UK; US may use 'bottoms' for pants/pajama pants. 'Bum' is more common UK informal for buttocks.
Connotations
Anatomical sense ('buttocks') is informal in both, but slightly less marked/more child-friendly in UK (e.g., 'spank your bottom').
Frequency
Both use core meaning equally. Anatomical sense very frequent in informal contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the bottom of [NP]bottom [out] (verb)[NP] bottomat the bottomVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Bottoms up!”
- “the bottom line”
- “from the bottom of my heart”
- “hit rock bottom”
- “bottom of the barrel”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The bottom line' refers to net profit or ultimate conclusion.
Academic
Used spatially ('bottom of the page') and abstractly ('bottom of the social hierarchy').
Everyday
Very common for location ('keys are at the bottom of my bag'), anatomy (informal), and ranking ('bottom of the league').
Technical
Maritime ('ship's bottom'), geology ('valley bottom'), physics ('lowest energy state').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- House prices appear to have bottomed out.
- The boat bottomed on a sandbank.
American English
- The market finally bottomed after a steep decline.
- His career bottomed before the comeback.
adverb
British English
- They finished bottom in the tournament.
- Ranked bottom overall.
American English
- The team placed bottom in the standings.
- He came bottom in the race.
adjective
British English
- He was the bottom student in maths.
- Put it on the bottom shelf.
American English
- She drew the bottom card from the deck.
- He started in the bottom position.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My pen is at the bottom of my bag.
- Write your name at the bottom of the page.
- The ship sank to the bottom of the ocean.
- I found the keys in the bottom drawer.
- After months of decline, sales have finally bottomed out.
- Her sincere apology came from the bottom of her heart.
- The investigative journalist was determined to get to the bottom of the corruption scandal.
- The new policy was designed to benefit those at the bottom of the income distribution.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BOT with a TOM on its BOTTOM – the robot's lowest part.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE/QUALITY IS UP, UNIMPORTANCE/POOR QUALITY IS DOWN ('bottom of the class', 'bottom tier').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not a direct equivalent for 'дно' in all abstract contexts (e.g., 'дно общества' is 'dregs/scum of society', not '*bottom of society').
- Anatomical 'bottom' = informal 'попа', not formal 'задняя часть'.
- 'Bottom' as 'lower surface' (дно коробки) is correct.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'in the bottom' instead of 'at the bottom' (e.g., 'at the bottom of the page').
- Confusing 'bottom' (lowest part) with 'back' (rear part).
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, 'the bottom line' primarily refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring to the lowest part of something, it is neutral. When referring to buttocks, it is informal but generally inoffensive, especially in UK English (more polite than 'arse' or 'ass').
'Base' often implies a supportive foundation (base of a statue, military base). 'Bottom' is simply the lowest surface or part (bottom of a cup, bottom of a hill). A cup has a bottom, not a base.
Yes, usually as 'bottom out', meaning to reach the lowest point before stabilizing or improving (e.g., 'The economy has bottomed out').
The phrase 'from the bottom of my heart' is a fixed idiom meaning 'with deepest sincerity'. It is not used literally ('*the bottom of my liver').