abyss

noun

ə-ˈbis How to pronounce abyss (audio)
a-,
 also  ˈa-(ˌ)bis
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

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 on the Web
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.
Through the deliberately standard-issue story of an amateur criminal (Michael Fassbender) trying to arrange a $20 million drug shipment from a Ciudad Juárez cartel, McCarthy stares into the abyss of human evil and the abyss stares back, pitilessly. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 This election might feel so stressful, completely overwhelming, as if our country is teetering on the edge of an abyss. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 7 Oct. 2024 McDermott and Beane basically came in together, established a culture true to their vision and pulled the Bills out of their 17-year abyss. Tim Graham, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024 The season ended, the credits rolled, and I was tossed into the abyss of inessential programming. Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abyss 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of abyss was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near abyss

Cite this Entry

“Abyss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abyss. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

abyss

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

More from Merriam-Webster on abyss

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