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 of abyss

• ocean
• chasm
• gulf
• expanse
• deep

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

To lose your home, your native land, that’s like falling from a bridge into a huge abyss with no way back. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

There’s a parallel universe where possibly one of the greatest songs of all time, and definitely the best song ever written about the boys being back in town, was squandered off into the abyss of record-store crates and never given a chance to shine. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026

Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

The decision to again step back from the abyss is wise. —Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026

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