abysmal

adjective

ə-ˈbiz-məl How to pronounce abysmal (audio)
Definition of abysmalnext
1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory The coach apologized for the abysmal performance of the team in the loss.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deep
extending far downward Strange sounds echoed from the abysmal reaches of the cave.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abysmal The gunslinger finished an abysmal 15-of-27 passing for a paltry 192 yards. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026 None of this is to suggest Waddle was anything close to the issue for Denver during an abysmal performance in the opener. — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Its aimless, contrived, misogynistic, convoluted, messy, overtly long, abysmal, repetative, slow, shallow, and downright awful. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026 The Chiefs helped to make Denver positively abysmal on offense in its first game with coordinator Davis Webb calling the plays. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abysmal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abysmal
  1. terrible
  2. deep
  3. horrible
  4. profound
  5. poor
  6. awful
  7. dismal
  8. atrocious
Adjective
  • In any case, the nation’s approach toward Europe was not to meddle in its internal affairs but, rather, to avoid another terrible Continental war.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Offensive lineman Steve Avila was a member of the 2024 Rams team that turned it around after a terrible start.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Democrats’ hopes rise in Texas Democrats are feeling newly optimistic about Texas, even in deep-red seats.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Later, Mars trines Neptune in your 8th House, making deeper reflection feel more intuitive than analytical.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • At its worst, cognitive impairment can be a horrible, life-altering disease for patient and loved ones.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Doubs had a horrible debut in the league’s season opener last week against the Seattle Seahawks.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • But now Oktoberfest is a proving ground for one of the most profound changes sweeping the global drinks industry as more consumers cut alcohol from their lives.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Larger forces, including generational change, the ubiquity of the internet and the strain Americans are experiencing in part due to profound economic transformation are at work.
    — James Bisbee, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of profound
Adjective
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • He was held back by something else, a feeling that some awful truth about his familiar, beloved world was now being revealed to him.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • His death was already sudden and awful, and the call was jarring and unexpected.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • Rodgers bounced back from a nightmarish performance in a dismal loss to New England by throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns to outduel Joe Burrow as the Steelers pulled out a 30-27 thriller.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The whiff of desperation coming from the ad blitz may have something to do with the president’s dismal polling numbers headed into November’s midterms.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismal
Adjective
  • The alleged conduct of this defendant was way beyond atrocious and horrendous.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Leeds forward line was helped by Newcastle’s atrocious defending and another weak clearance led to a fourth goal after 59 minutes, Noah Okafor slapping his low strike through a sea of legs into the far corner.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of atrocious

Browse Nearby Words

abysm
abysmal
abysmally
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Cite this Entry

“Abysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abysmal. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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