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.
These fishes also really highlight the diversity of snailfishes in the abyss. Julia Gomez, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025 Black Rabbit begins in media res, zooming out from a wallpaper full of rabbits — some mid-hop, others staring fearfully into the abyss with wide, dark pools for eyes. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 Back on the Danish frigate, in the Nuuk Fjord, flanked by Greenland’s bleak mountains of sheer black rock, the boom of practicing naval artillery guns reverberates into the Arctic abyss, as fighter jets scream overhead. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025 The two turnovers put the Panthers in a 10-point hole in the middle of the first quarter, and they were forced to climb out of the abyss all game. Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abyss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abyss. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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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