abyss

noun

ə-ˈbis 

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

Synonyms

• abysm
• chasm
• deep
• gulf
• ocean

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

The agreement with the UK also gives other world leaders a reason to hope that other deals can rescue the global economy from the abyss, providing a framework for future negotiations. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

With deep-sea mining looming, biologists race to collect and name the undiscovered species of the abyss, the last wilderness on earth. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025

Typically, a traumatized woman seeking violent revenge is made to back off from the abyss at the last minute, reasserting her superior humanity by refusing to sink to her victimizer’s level. —Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025

Now, our wistful protagonist and her friends are looking for clues along the edge of a supernatural abyss known as Glore Valley. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for abyss

• amiss
• chlamys
• dismiss
• premiss
• remiss
• bis
• bliss
• criss
• dis
• diss
• hiss
• kiss

Kids Definition

abyss

noun

ə-ˈbis 

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