abysmal

adjective

abys·​mal ə-ˈbiz-məl 

a-

1

a

: immeasurably low or wretched : extremely poor or bad

abysmal ignorance/poverty

abysmal living conditions

an abysmal performance

b

: having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward

an abysmal cliff

2

: abyssal sense 2

abysmally

ə-ˈbiz-mə-lē 

a-

adverb

abysmally ignorant

an abysmally poor performance

Synonyms of abysmal

• terrible
• horrible
• poor
• awful
• dismal
• atrocious

Examples of abysmal in a Sentence

They were living in abysmal ignorance.

a desperate cry echoing from the abysmal reaches of the cave

Recent Examples on the Web

Ward was abysmal on paper and electric on tape, and is finally throwing to someone drafted higher than the fourth round. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Outside the opening drive against the Washington Commanders that saw Willis lead the starting offense to a touchdown, the quarterback play has been rather abysmal to say the least. — Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026

Green Bay’s special teams have been abysmal for the better part of two decades. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

His record on Palestinian matters on the whole is, however, abysmal. — David Shulman, The New York Review of Books, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

abysm + -al entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for abysmal

• baptismal
• aneurysmal
• paroxysmal
• dismal

Kids Definition

abysmal

adjective

abys·​mal ə-ˈbiz-məl 

1

a

: extremely poor or bad

abysmal living conditions

b

: having an immense extension downward, backward, or inward

2

: abyssal

abysmally

-mə-lē 

adverb