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

The gap between true contention and what the Warriors put on the floor this year was a chasm. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026

Tucked into the corner of Virginia and Kentucky, Breaks Interstate Park spans 4,500 acres across both states—and its focal point is a chasm created by the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026

But the chasm between this movie and the first continues to grow. —Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026

The breakdown was emblematic of a widening chasm between state officials and the parts of the federal government that had, until recently, worked with them to secure American elections. —Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026

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