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

Some coal-mining companies have had abysmal safety records, leading to miner deaths, such as the recent drowning of a miner in a sudden flood in a West Virginia mine. —Hannah Wiseman, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025

Former Clippers Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams reported that Paul was holding others, including the front office, accountable for the team’s abysmal start. —Janis Carr, Oc Register, 3 Dec. 2025

There’s no benefit for a new head coach to join a general manager who would be entering his fifth year on the heels of three consecutive abysmal seasons. —Dan Duggan, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025

Some of those shows are fantastic; some are abysmal; some are just meh. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025

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