Dictionary

abysmal en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• [əˈbɪz.ml̩]
• /əˈbɪz.məl/

Etymology

From abysm + -al. Compare abyssal.

Meanings

1. (archaic) Pertaining to, or resembling an abyss.
   • The latter [geology] gives one the same sort of bewildering view of the abysmal extent of Time that Astronomy does of Space. 1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:
2. (figuratively) Extremely bad; terrible.
   • Robben curled an effort against the foot of the post from the edge of the box after being gifted the ball by an abysmal clearance from keeper Stephan Andersen. 2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark”, in BBC Sport:

Forms

Antonyms

wonderful · superb · excellent

Deriveds

abysmally

Relateds

abyssal

Synonyms

appalling · profound · awful · unending · dreadful · fathomless · immeasurable · atrocious

Translations (60)

fi hirvittävä (extremely bad) · pl beznadziejny (extremely bad) · de unterirdisch (extremely bad) · de jämmerlich (extremely bad) · fr épouvantable (extremely bad) · hu pocsék (extremely bad) · fi kammottava (extremely bad) · hu kritikán aluli (extremely bad) · hu gyalázatos (extremely bad) · bg бездънен (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · hu szánalmas (extremely bad) · fr exécrable (extremely bad) · hu lesújtó (extremely bad) · cmn 無可救藥 /无可救药 (extremely bad) · hu nyomorúságos (extremely bad) · cmn 爛透 /烂透 (extremely bad) · hu rémes (extremely bad) · fi surkea (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · ru бездо́нный (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fi pohjaton (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fi kauhea (extremely bad) · fi äärimmäinen (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fr abyssal (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · pt abismal (extremely bad) · sh у̏жа̄сан (extremely bad) · el ανεκδιήγητος (extremely bad) · el απερίγραπτος (extremely bad) · hu siralmas (extremely bad) · hu csúfos (extremely bad) · es abismal (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · ru отврати́тельный (extremely bad) · de abgrundtief (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · hu borzalmas (extremely bad) · hu lehangoló (extremely bad) · eo abisma (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · eo malbonega (extremely bad) · de erbärmlich (extremely bad) · el αβυσσαλέος (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fa افتضاح (extremely bad) · fi kelvoton (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · hu feneketlen (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · el απύθμενος (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · sh ȕžāsan (extremely bad) · hu mélységes (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · el απειροβαθής (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fa مغاکمانند (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · it abissale (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · hu szörnyű (extremely bad) · fa ژرفناک (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · hu iszonyú (extremely bad) · hu rettenetes (extremely bad) · it disastroso (extremely bad) · de abgründig (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · el άπατος (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fi toivoton (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · fr terrible (extremely bad) · fa وحشتناک (extremely bad) · pt abismal (pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound) · it pessimo (extremely bad) · de unter aller Sau (extremely bad)