The phrasal verb "bottom out" is predominantly used in informal contexts, although it can also be found in more formal economic or financial discussions. This phrasal verb describes the point where something, such as prices, emotions, or business trends, reaches a low point and stabilizes before potentially rising again. It is commonly used in economic and financial analyses to indicate that a downturn has reached its lowest point, for example, "The stock market seems to have bottomed out after last week's losses." "Bottom out" can also metaphorically refer to personal situations, indicating that someone has hit their lowest point. This phrasal verb is versatile, used in both spoken and written contexts, sometimes replaced by synonyms like "reach the lowest point" in more formal writings.
B2
UpperIntermediate
1. To reach the lowest point, level, or value, and be on the verge of recovery or improvement.
The housing market is expected to bottom out before prices start to climb next year.
After several months of losses, the stock prices finally bottomed out in October.
The economic recession saw many small businesses bottom out before the recovery began.
Analysts believe the industry has bottomed out and will begin to grow in the following quarter.