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abyss

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noun \ ə-ˈbis , a- also ˈa-(ˌ)bis \

Definition of abyss

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

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Examples of abyss in a Sentence

  1. 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 of abyss from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of abyss

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

abyss Synonyms

Synonyms
abysm, chasm, deep, gulf, ocean
Related Words
cleft, crevasse, crevice, fissure; cavern, hole, hollow, pit; breadth, expanse, extent, reach, spread, stretch; black hole, emptiness, nothingness, vacancy, vacuity, vacuum, void

ABYSS Defined for Kids

abyss

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noun \ ə-ˈbis \

Definition of abyss for Students

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

Learn More about abyss

  1. See words that rhyme with abyss Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for abyss Spanish Central: Translation of abyss Nglish: Translation of abyss for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of abyss for Arabic speakers

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Examples: abyss in a Sentence