abysmal

American  

[uh-biz-muhl] / əˈbɪz məl /

adjective

1. of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great.

2. extremely or hopelessly bad or severe.

   abysmal ignorance; abysmal poverty.

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abysmal British  

/ əˈbɪzməl /

adjective

1. immeasurable; very great

   abysmal stupidity

2. informal extremely bad

   an abysmal film

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Other Word Forms

• abysmally adverb
• ultra-abysmal adjective

Etymology

Origin of abysmal

First recorded in 1650–60; abysm + -al ¹

Example Sentences

However, their record at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season is frankly abysmal, so can they expect to turn their form around against fellow strugglers?

From BBC

For the rest of the time, the returns were abysmal.

From MarketWatch

You might have heard that January home sales were abysmal, and that a trade group’s chief economist described the situation as a “new housing crisis.”

From Barron's

You might have heard that January home sales were abysmal, and that a trade group’s chief economist described the situation as a “new housing crisis.”

From Barron's

The driver behind her abysmal approval rating, Savva says, is her lack of conviction on issues she said she cared about.

From BBC