abyss

noun

ə-ˈbis 

a-,

 also  ˈa-(ˌ)bis

1

a

: an immeasurably deep gulf or great space

gazed down into the gaping abyss

the ocean's abysses

(figurative) a widening abyss between the rich and the poor

b

: intellectual or moral depths

an abyss of moral depravity

an abyss of despair

2

: the bottomless gulf, pit, or chaos of the old cosmogonies

Synonyms

• abysm
• chasm
• deep
• gulf
• ocean

Examples of abyss in a Sentence

looking down at the dark ocean from the ship's rail, the cruise passenger felt as though he was staring into an abyss

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States’ postwar political identity has vanished into the abyss of the ballot box. —Ivan Krastev, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025

The continental shelf offers refuge to creatures not suited for the shallow water or the abyss, including around New Caledonia. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

These were story worlds to add to the significance of being grounded, to know the tiny but integral scale of your belonging in a timeless culture of country, while staring into the abyss of the world. —Alexis Wright, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss. —The New York Times, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin abyssus, borrowed from Greek ábyssos "bottomless, unfathomable, (as noun) bottomless gulf," from a- a- entry 2 + byssós "depth of the sea," probably going back to *byth-yos, derivative of bythós "depth, deepest part, bottom," probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

abyss

noun

ə-ˈbis 

: a gulf so deep or a space so great that it cannot be measured