どん(じり)

どんじり
noun
the very last; dead last; tail end
1. the very last; dead last; tail end
An emphatic, informal word meaning the absolute last position or the very end of a line, race, or ranking. More emphatic than simply 最後(さいご).
マラソンでどん(じり)だった。
I came in dead last in the marathon.
あのチームはいつもどん(じり)だ。
That team is always in last place.
成績(せいせき)がどん(じり)だったので、必死(ひっし)勉強(べんきょう)するようになった。
My grades were dead last, so I started studying desperately.

USAGE:
An informal, emphatic expression. The prefix どん adds emphasis, similar to how it works in どん(ぞこ) (rock bottom). Often used in sports, rankings, and competitive contexts.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • どん(じり)()わる (to end up dead last)
  • どん(じり)から(かぞ)えた(ほう)(はや)い (easier to count from the bottom)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 最下位(さいかい): last place — a more formal, neutral expression
  • びり: last place — a casual synonym
  • どん(ぞこ): rock bottom — the same emphatic prefix applied to "bottom"