at bottom
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Radically, fundamentally: as, the young prodigal lived a riotous life, but was good at bottom, or below the surface.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “at bottom” mean?
Radically, fundamentally: as, the young prodigal lived a riotous life, but was good at bottom, or below the surface.
Is “at bottom” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.