# hit rock bottom

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hit-rock-bottom
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To reach the lowest possible state in one's life.

## Examples

- He hit rock bottom after losing his job and his home.
- After years of struggling with debt and poor health, he finally hit rock bottom and decided to seek professional help.
- Only when he had hit rock bottom, stripped of his reputation and his fortune, did he begin to understand the true value of his family.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.