chasm
Americannoun
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a yawning fissure or deep cleft in the earth's surface; gorge.
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a breach or wide fissure in a wall or other structure.
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a marked interruption of continuity; gap.
a chasm in time.
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a sundering breach in relations, as a divergence of opinions, beliefs, etc., between persons or groups.
noun
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a deep cleft in the ground; abyss
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a break in continuity; gap
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a wide difference in interests, feelings, etc
Other Word Forms
- chasmal adjective
- chasmed adjective
- chasmic adjective
- chasmy adjective
Etymology
Origin of chasm
1590–1600; apocopated variant of chasma < Latin < Greek, equivalent to cha- (root of chaínein to gape; yawn ) + -( a ) sma resultative suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first axe-blow sent splinters of ice rattling into the chasm.
From Literature
But there’s nothing on the other end of the line, a silent chasm of nothing.
From Literature
George Russell said he believed a "perfect storm" accounted for the chasm between Mercedes and their rivals in qualifying at the first race of the new Formula 1 season.
From BBC
Creating this chasm of mistrust between patient and provider will have devastating effects on the vaccination rates of children in the U.S. that may take a decade or even a generation to correct.
From MarketWatch
Speaking Sunday from the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV made a “heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
