1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

abysm

noun

ə-ˈbi-zəm How to pronounce abysm (audio)
Definition of abysmnext
as in abyss
an immeasurable depth or space a recurrent dream in which he would fall helplessly into a dark and silent abysm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abysm
  1. abyss
  2. ocean
Noun
  • Anything less and the balance of the Heat’s offseason — and future — tilts toward an abyss.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Some misjudge its power and are swept away, their final moments lost in the churning abyss.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • California homeowners are building a costly rock wall to hold back the ocean, escalating a battle over private property and what to do about years-long beach erosion amid storm damage and higher tides.
    — Hannah Knowles, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Coast Guard reported on Friday morning that three cutters remain actively searching, and air and ocean surface searches were conducted overnight.
    — Kathy Laskowski, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of ocean
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

abuzz
abysm
abysmal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abysm. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compendious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All