bottom

noun

/ˈbɒtəm/

/ˈbɑːtəm/

Idioms

lowest part底部

[countable, usually singular] the lowest part of something底部；最下部

the bottom of the screen/stairs/hill屏风/楼梯/小山的底部
at the bottom of something Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page.脚注附于每页的下端。
at the bottom The book I want is right at the bottom (= of the pile).我想要的书就压在（那堆书的）最下面。
The wind blew through gaps at the top and bottom of the door.风从门顶部和底部的缝隙吹进来了。
farmers who lived in the valley bottoms 住在谷底的农民

opposite top

Synonyms bottombottom

base
foundation
foot

These are all words for the lowest part of something.

bottom
[usually sing.] the lowest part of something:
- Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page.脚注附于每页的下端。
- I waited for them at the bottom of the hill.我在山脚下等候他们。
base
[usually sing.] the lowest part of something, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands:
- The lamp has a heavy base.这盏灯的底座很沉。
foundation
[usually pl.] a layer of stone, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building:
- to lay the foundations of the new school给新校舍打地基
foot
[sing.] the lowest part of something:
- At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.她在楼梯底转过身来面对着他。

bottom or foot?用 bottom 还是 foot？Foot is used to talk about a limited number of things: it is used most often with tree, hill/mountain, steps/stairs and page. Bottom can be used to talk about a much wider range of things, including those mentioned above for foot. Foot is generally used in more literary contexts.Patterns

at/near/towards the bottom/base/foot of something
on the bottom/base of something
(a) firm/solid/strong base/foundation(s)

He reached the bottom of the steps in no time.他很快下到了楼梯底部。
We rode along the bottom of the valley.我们开车沿着山谷底部前行。
We walked to the bottom of the hill.我们走到山脚。
She was waiting near the bottom of the stairs.她在楼梯底部附近等着。
There are subtitles along the bottom of the screen.屏幕底部有字幕。
It took them six hours to reach the bottom of the mountain.他们花了六个小时才到达山脚。

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

false

verb + bottom

arrive at
fall to
get to
…

bottom + noun

end
half

preposition

along the bottom
at the bottom
from the bottom
…

[countable, usually singular] the part of something that faces downwards and is not usually seen（朝下的）底，底面

The bottom of the pan was all sticky.锅底粘糊糊的。
on the bottom of something The ingredients are listed on the bottom of the box配料列在盒子的底部

The manufacturer's name is on the bottom of the plate.厂家的名称在盘子底面。

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

false

verb + bottom

arrive at
fall to
get to
…

bottom + noun

end
half

preposition

along the bottom
at the bottom
from the bottom
…

of container容器

[countable, usually singular] the lowest surface on the inside of a container（容器内的）底

Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper.给笼子底部垫上报纸。
at the bottom of something I found some coins at the bottom of my bag.我在我的手提包底找到了几枚硬币。

a case with a false bottom有活底的箱子
strange sounds from the bottom of the well井底传来的奇怪声音
Allow the tea leaves to settle to the bottom of the cup.让茶叶沉到杯底。

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

false

verb + bottom

arrive at
fall to
get to
…

bottom + noun

end
half

preposition

along the bottom
at the bottom
from the bottom
…

of lake/sea/pool

[singular] the ground below the water in a lake, the sea, a swimming pool, etc.（湖、河、游泳池等的）底；水底

I feel safe as long as I can touch the bottom.只要能摸到底，我就有安全感。
on the bottom (of something) He dived in and hit his head on the bottom.他跳进水里，头撞到了池底。
to the bottom (of something) The boat sank to the bottom of the sea.船沉入海底。

She could only just touch the bottom.她刚刚能触到底。
These fish spend most of their lives on the river bottom. 这些鱼大部分时间都在河底度过。

Topics Geographya2

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

false

verb + bottom

arrive at
fall to
get to
…

bottom + noun

end
half

preposition

along the bottom
at the bottom
from the bottom
…

lowest position最末位置

[singular] the lowest position in a class, on a list, etc.; a person, team, etc. that is in this position（班级、名单等的）最末位置；排名最后的人（或团队等）

When the list came out, my name was near the bottom.名单出来的时候，我的名字就在底部附近。
I was always bottom of the class in math.我的数学成绩总是班上最后一名。
at the bottom of something a battle between the teams at the bottom of the league联盟排名最后的几个队之间的较量
at the bottom You have to be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up.你得准备好从最基层干起，努力向上。

He's near the bottom of the class.他在班里快垫底了。
He started at the bottom and worked his way up through the company.他从公司最底层干起，一步步升至高层。
Things are much worse at the bottom of the educational ladder.在教育阶梯的底部，情况要糟糕得多。
In terms of economic performance, we are near the bottom of the table.就经济表现而言，我们已接近垫底。

Collocations Dictionaryverb + bottom

start at
work up from

preposition

at the bottom
near the bottom
towards/toward the bottom
…

opposite top

part of body身体部位

[countable] (especially British English) the part of the body that you sit on屁股；臀部

We sat on our bottoms on the damp grass.我们坐在潮湿的草地上。

synonym backside, behindTopics Bodyb1

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

bare

verb + bottom

slap
smack
spank
…

clothing衣服

[countable, usually plural] the lower part of a set of clothes that consists of two pieces套装的裙（或裤）

a pair of pyjama/tracksuit bottoms一条睡裤／运动裤
a bikini bottom比基尼泳装的短裤

compare top

end of something尾端

[singular] (especially British English) the part of something that is furthest from you, your house, etc.…尽头

at the bottom of something There was a stream at the bottom of the garden.花园尽头有一条小溪。
I went to the school at the bottom of our street.我在我们街尾的学校上学。

of ship船

[countable] the lower part of a ship that is below the surface of the water（吃水线以下的）船底，船身 synonym hullTopics Transport by waterb1

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

false

verb + bottom

arrive at
fall to
get to
…

bottom + noun

end
half

preposition

along the bottom
at the bottom
from the bottom
…

-bottomed有…底

(in adjectives构成形容词) having the type of bottom mentioned有…底的

a flat-bottomed boat平底船

词源Old English botm, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bodem ‘bottom, ground’ and German Boden ‘ground, earth’.

Idioms

at bottom

used to say what somebody/something is really like归根结底；本质上；实际上
- Their offer to help was at bottom self-centred.他们提出要帮忙，这其实还是他们为自己考虑。

at the top/bottom of the heap

high up/low down in the structure of an organization or a society在（机构或社会的）顶层／底层
- These workers are at the bottom of the economic heap.这些工人处在经济结构的底层。

be/lie at the bottom of something

to be the original cause of something, especially something unpleasant是某事的根源（或起因、导火线）
- We need to find out what lies at the bottom of these fears.我们需要找出这些恐惧的根源。
- I'd love to know what lies at the bottom of all this.我想知道这一切究竟是怎么一回事。
Topics Change, cause and effectc2

the bottom drops/falls out (of something)

people stop buying or using the products of a particular industry（某行业）产品滞销；销量暴跌
- The bottom has fallen out of the travel market.旅游市场出现了萧条局面。
Topics Moneyc2

(at the) bottom/top of the pile

in the least/most important position in a group of people or things处于无足轻重的／举足轻重的地位
- It’s been 20 years since a British player was top of the pile.20年前，一名英国球员就已经登顶了。
- The government is doing little to help those on the bottom of the social pile.政府几乎没有采取任何措施帮助处于社会底层的人。

bottoms up!

(informal) used to express good wishes when drinking alcohol, or to tell somebody to finish their drink干杯

from the (bottom of your) heart

in a way that is sincere真诚地；从内心（深处）
- I beg you, from the bottom of my heart, to spare his life.我诚心诚意地恳求你饶他一命吧。
- It was clearly an offer that came from the heart.那很明显是由衷的提议。
- I could tell he spoke from the heart.我看得出他这番话是发自内心的。

from top to bottom

going to every part of a place in a very careful way从上到下；彻底地
- We cleaned the house from top to bottom.我们把房子彻底打扫了一遍。

get to the bottom of something

to find out the real cause of something, especially something unpleasant找到起因；挖出祸根
- I won’t rest until I’ve got to the bottom of this!我不会休息，直到我弄清楚这件事！
- The only way to get to the bottom of it is to confront the chairman.弄清事情真相的唯一方法就是跟主席对质。

race to the bottom (economics经济学)

a situation in which companies and countries compete with each other to produce goods as cheaply as possible by paying low wages and giving workers poor conditions and few rights逐底竞争（企业或国家通过降低工资、劳动条件和工人权利以尽可能降低生产成本的竞争）
- They are caught in the cheap food syndrome, the race to the bottom, the chase for the lowest cost of production globally. 他们陷入了廉价食品综合症，竞相杀入谷底，追逐全球最低的生产成本。

scrape (the bottom of) the barrel

(disapproving) to have to use things or people that are not the best or most suitable because the ones that were the best or most suitable are no longer available（因别无选择）将就，凑合

touch bottom

to reach the ground at the bottom of an area of water触到水底
- I put my feet down and touched bottom.我把脚放下，摸摸屁股。
to reach the worst possible state or condition到最坏境况；到最低点；跌到谷底
- Her career really touched bottom with that movie.那部电影真的使她的事业跌至谷底。