Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bottom of the barrel

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.09 in modern English

Syllables: bot-tom of the bar-rel
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The lowest possible level of a person or thing in terms of character or quality; also, a person or thing at such a level.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"He went from being at the bottom of the barrel to being an inch above the bottom of the barrel."
"Here is the first new collection of Rohmer stories in years, and they are the absolute bottom of the barrel! Detective stories, romances, war stories — everything but the "strange stories" advertised in the title."
"The bottom of the barrel as far as accommodation in the Ville Nouvelle goes."
"I know it’s hard work in our game, and you get to a point, 15 years into a career, where you’re not bringing in much dough. But it’s proper bottom of the barrel, a celebrity Britain’s Got Talent."

Usage

Derogatory

Inflected Forms

the bottom of the barrel (canonical)

Derived Forms

BOMB

Phrases

scrape the bottom of the barrel lowest of the low

Frequently Paired Words

lowest of the low

Questions

What does bottom of the barrel mean?: The lowest possible level of a person or thing in terms of character or quality; also, a person or thing at such a level.

How to pronounce bottom of the barrel

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