abysmal

abys·mal

adjective \ə-ˈbiz-məl, a-\

: extremely poor or bad

Full Definition of ABYSMAL

1

a :  having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward <an abysmal cliff>

b :  immeasurably great :  profound <abysmal ignorance>

c :  immeasurably low or wretched <abysmal living conditions of the poor>

2

:  abyssal 2

— abys·mal·ly \-mə-lē\ adverb

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Examples of ABYSMAL

1. They were living in abysmal ignorance.
2. <a desperate cry echoing from the abysmal reaches of the cave>

First Known Use of ABYSMAL

circa 1656

Related to ABYSMAL

Synonyms

deep, bottomless, profound

Antonyms

shallow, shoal, skin-deep, superficial, surface

Related Words

abyssal, unfathomable; boundless, endless, immeasurable, inestimable, infinite, limitless, measureless, unlimited, vast

Near Antonyms

depthless, two-dimensional; even, flat, flush, horizontal, level, plane, smooth; confined, finite, limited, measured, restricted

Rhymes with ABYSMAL

baptismal