bottomless

Bottomless is an adjective describing something that has no bottom or lacks a bottom. In a figurative sense, it denotes vastness or inexhaustibility—something that seems to have no end or limit.

Etymology traces to the combination of bottom and -less. It is attested in Middle English and originally described objects that truly lacked a bottom, such as a bottomless well. Over time, the sense broadened to metaphorical uses, referring to unlimited quantity, endless possibilities, or insatiable qualities.

Common usages include literal phrases like bottomless pit, and figurative expressions such as bottomless cup or bottomless brunch, which indicate unlimited refills or an endless supply. Other widely used forms describe attributes: a bottomless appetite, bottomless energy, or a bottomless curiosity, all conveying exaggeration about how extensive or inexhaustible something appears.

In modern English, bottomless is typically understood as hyperbolic and context-dependent. It often functions as a qualitative intensifier rather than a precise measurement. Related terms include endless, inexhaustible, fathomless, and unfathomable, which share the sense of without perceptible end or limit.