abyss
noun
a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
abyss
1 American
[uh-bis]
/ əˈbɪs /
noun
-
a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
-
anything that seems to be without end or is impossible to measure, define, or comprehend.
the abyss of their grief and sorrow.
-
(in ancient cosmogony)
-
the primal chaos before Creation.
-
the infernal regions; hell.
-
a subterranean ocean.
-
Abyss.
2
American
abbreviation
-
Abyssinia.
-
Abyssinian.
abyss
British
/ əˈbɪs /
noun
-
a very deep or unfathomable gorge or chasm
-
anything that appears to be endless or immeasurably deep, such as time, despair, or shame
-
hell or the infernal regions conceived of as a bottomless pit
Etymology
Origin of abyss
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English abissus, from Late Latin abyssus, from Greek ábyssos “bottomless,” equivalent to a- a- 6 + byssós “bottom of the sea”
Explanation
The noun abyss refers to a deep void or chasm — either literal or figurative. Making a momentous life decision with great uncertainty, like enrolling in clown college, might feel like jumping into the abyss. Traditionally, the abyss referred to the "bottomless pit" of Hell. Now it might refer to either a literal chasm or a figurative one: "Thirty years ago, we peered into this abyss and pulled back just in time." The word is sometimes used to describe a wide difference between cultures or nations. Abyss comes from Greek: a- "without" + byssos, "depth, bottom." You may know the related adjective abysmal, which means "appallingly bad" — or "way down in the depths," as it were.
Vocabulary lists containing abyss
Night
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Grade 9, List 5
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
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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.
This whole Western Conference semifinal series against these defending champions has been a lose-lose proposition for the Lakers, who are now down 3-0 and staring into the elimination abyss in Game 4 on Monday.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
But together, they sketch a country edging towards an abyss it has fallen into before and barely survived, observers warn.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
Under Tan, Intel has done that and is inching its way out of the abyss.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Elsewhere, “Navalny” filmmaker Daniel Roher also tries to look at the bright side in his latest, “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” but only after gazing into the abyss.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026
Halfway across there came another loud creak from the snow; a piece fell off near her feet and tumbled into the abyss, and the bridge settled down another few inches against the crack.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
