abyss

noun \ ə-ˈbis , a- also ˈa-(ˌ)bis \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: abyss in a Sentence

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

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

He was fired 2 ½ seasons later and so began the death spiral into the abyss.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Here's hoping Steve Clifford isn't another good coach who Orlando Magic turn into a bad one," 30 May 2018
On Rick and Morty, that voice is a drunken, nihilistic howl into the abyss.

— sean o'neal, GQ, "The Tortured Mind Of Dan Harmon," 30 May 2018
The 2018 Honda Accord has a modern fastback shape, adaptive radar cruise control, semi-autonomous lane-keeping assist, and a road departure mitigation system that will keep you from distractedly drifting into the abyss.

— gary gastelu, Fox News, "The 2018 Honda Accord Sport is a stirring sedan," 11 May 2018
When Justify vanished into the abyss leaving the first turn, he had been locked in an eye-to-eye duel with Good Magic, the same horse that challenged him at the top of the stretch in the Kentucky Derby.

— dan wolken, USA TODAY, "Justify's Preakness win raises more questions heading into Belmont," 19 May 2018
For more than a year, my mattress functioned as a sinkhole, pulling me down into an abyss that didn’t exist physically but was very much real in my mind.

— terrell jermaine starr, The Root, "Why I Don’t Regret Taking Medication to Cope With My Depression," 17 May 2018
And as ineffectual as Giroux has been in this series – and really Couturier before his injury – that seems to be a byproduct of the abyss in talent between the teams.

— sam donnellon, Philly.com, "Undermanned and underwhelming, Flyers go quietly in the night," 18 Apr. 2018
The social media posts from parents crying out in the virtual abyss are heard.

— sarah hosseini, chicagotribune.com, "If your child is showing signs of stress or anxiety, keeping a journal might help," 11 Mar. 2018
For the thrill-seeker, have a seat at the edge of the thin ledge extending out from the quartzite and sandstone promitory forming the lookout and extend your feet into the abyss.

— michael j. bailey, BostonGlobe.com, "McAfee Knob will get your heart pumping," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abyss.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year