toccare il fondo

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to touch the bottom”. Compare French toucher le fond.

Verb

toccàre il fondo (first-person singular present tócco il fondo, first-person singular past historic toccài il fondo, past participle toccàto il fondo, auxiliary avére)

1. to touch one's feet to the bottom of a body of water while one's head is above water
2. to move with the keel touching the bottom of a body of water (of a boat)
3. (figurative, by extension) to hit rock bottom
   • 2020 November 13, Timothy Garton Ash, “Usa, se Biden ha bisogno di noi [US, if Biden needs us]”, in la Repubblica‎^[1]:

     Il soft power americano deve aver proprio toccato il fondo, persino in confronto al triste periodo del Vietnam e del Watergate.

     American soft power must have just hit rock bottom, even when compared to the sad period of Vietnam and of Watergate.