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

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

But the last four years, beginning when the Fed started raising rates, have been abysmal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Across much of the watershed, the snowpack this winter is “abysmal,” Swain said, with some areas now having record or near-record low amounts of accumulated snow.

From Los Angeles Times