chasm

noun

ˈka-zəm 

1

: a deep cleft in the surface of a planet (such as the earth) : gorge

built a bridge over the chasm

2

: a marked division, separation, or difference

the chasm between the rich and the poor

Synonyms of chasm

• abyss
• ocean

Examples of chasm in a Sentence

a chasm in the ocean floor

Recent Examples on the Web

And the bridge over that chasm — between not having to consider money, and nearly suffocating from a lack of it — remained shrouded for some in the fog of South Florida’s, indeed the country’s, mounting affordability crisis. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025

Part of that is due to a huge mismatch between people’s hopes and reality, with that chasm growing bigger than ever. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025

For every meal that food banks provide, SNAP provides nine, Toups says, creating an even larger chasm of need for banks to fill. —Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025

The chasm is widening between NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit that funneled federal dollars to public media until Congress killed that funding earlier this year. —David Folkenflik, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin chasma, from Greek; akin to Latin hiare to yawn — more at yawn

First Known Use

circa 1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chasm

• bronchospasm
• cytoplasm
• ectoplasm
• neoplasm
• protoplasm
• vasospasm
• chiasm
• germplasm
• phantasm
• sarcasm
• enthusiasm
• iconoclasm

Kids Definition

chasm

noun

ˈkaz-əm 

: a deep split or gap in the earth