abysmal
Americanadjective
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of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great.
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extremely or hopelessly bad or severe.
abysmal ignorance; abysmal poverty.
adjective
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immeasurable; very great
abysmal stupidity
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informal extremely bad
an abysmal film
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abysmal
Explanation
If you want to say something is really, really bad — then call it abysmal. If one person shows up to your party, well then that is an abysmal turnout. The 1958 Ford Edsel? An abysmal failure. When someone describes the hole you just dug as abysmal, you may not know whether to take it as positive or negative feedback. That's because starting in the 1650s, abysmal simply meant “resembling an abyss in depth.” By that definition you've just received a compliment on your deep digging skills. But since the early twentieth century, abysmal has been more commonly used to identify something as "extremely bad." So it's more likely that your hole has just been insulted.
Vocabulary lists containing abysmal
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Six Crimson Cranes
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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.
He opened himself up for criticism by hitting an abysmal .045—1 for 22—in the 1981 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Hegseth, meanwhile, forcefully rejected claims of abysmal conditions on board.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Scott made unfavorable headlines against the 49ers after an abysmal tackling effort during Jacob Cowing’s 83-yard punt return for a touchdown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
It’s the dog days of summer, with beastly heat, no proper holidays, and an abysmal history.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
The Rebels scored more points against Permian in a 42-21 win than any team had scored against them in twenty-three years, and Winchell's own performance had been abysmal.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
