bottom-feeder

noun

bot·​tom-feed·​er ˈbä-təm-ˌfē-dər How to pronounce bottom-feeder (audio)
1
: a fish that feeds at the bottom
2
: one that is of the lowest status or rank
3
: an opportunist who seeks quick profit usually at the expense of others or from their misfortune
bottom-feeding adjective

Examples of bottom-feeder in a Sentence

that bottom-feeder would run over his own mother if it would help him get ahead in his career
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rachel reconnects with Sam, her fellow bottom-feeder, and completely bungles the conversation. Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 Baylor could be described as a longtime bottom-feeder on the rise when CU left the Big 12. Sarah Kelly, The Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2024 However, somehow out-tanking other bottom-feeders around the league will be the only way to get him in a Brooklyn uniform. C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 28 June 2024 The remaining schedule includes two games against lowly Georgetown, including this Wednesday on the road, and another against Big East bottom-feeder DePaul. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2024 Useful tip: Many anglers think of catfish as bottom-feeders that prefer cut bait or stink bait. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The tide unexpectedly began to turn in 2022, when a team projected for another year as a bottom-feeder instead finished as the best team in the AL to miss the playoffs. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 17 Sep. 2023 The program has made huge gains in the past decade after more than 20 years as a Bowl Subdivision bottom-feeder in the wake of major NCAA sanctions and penalties in the late 1980s. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 Carp, maybe, or catfish, bottom-feeders the ice has brought to the surface. Stuart Dybek, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bottom-feeder was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near bottom-feeder

Cite this Entry

“Bottom-feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottom-feeder. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!