Meanings
comparative more abysmal · superlative most abysmal
- archaicPertaining to, or resembling an abyss.First known use First attested in the mid 17ᵗʰ century.
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, […], →OCLCSynonyms: unending, profound, fathomless, immeasurable
- figurativelyExtremely 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 SportSynonyms: dreadful, atrocious, awful, appalling · Antonyms: excellent, wonderful, superb
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePertaining to, or resembling an abyss.
adjectiveExtremely bad; terrible.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivevery great; limitless
adjectiveresembling an abyss in depth; so deep as to be unmeasurable
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From abysm + -al. Compare abyssal.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian бездънен
- бездънен (bezdănen)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
Chinese Mandarin 無可救藥 /无可救药, 爛透 /烂透
- 無可救藥 /无可救药 (wúkějiùyào)extremely bad
- 爛透 /烂透 (làntòu)extremely bad
Esperanto abisma, malbonega
- abismapertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- malbonegaextremely bad
Finnish pohjaton, äärimmäinen
- pohjatonpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- äärimmäinenpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- surkeapertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- toivotonpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- kelvotonpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- hirvittäväextremely bad
- kammottavaextremely bad
- kauheaextremely bad
French abyssal, épouvantable
- abyssalpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- épouvantableextremely bad
- terribleextremely bad
- exécrableextremely bad
German abgründig, abgrundtief
- abgründigpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- abgrundtiefpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- erbärmlichextremely bad
- jämmerlichextremely bad
- unterirdischextremely bad
- unter aller Sauextremely bad
Greek αβυσσαλέος, απύθμενος
- αβυσσαλέος (avyssaléos)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- απύθμενος (apýthmenos)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- απειροβαθής (apeirovathís)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- άπατος (ápatos)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- ανεκδιήγητος (anekdiígitos)extremely bad
- απερίγραπτος (aperígraptos)extremely bad
Hungarian feneketlen, mélységes
- feneketlenpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- mélységespertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- gyalázatosextremely bad
- borzalmasextremely bad
- rettenetesextremely bad
- szánalmasextremely bad
- siralmasextremely bad
- nyomorúságosextremely bad
- csúfosextremely bad
- lehangolóextremely bad
- lesújtóextremely bad
- iszonyúextremely bad
Italian abissale, disastroso
- abissalepertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- disastrosoextremely bad
- pessimoextremely bad
Persian مغاکمانند, ژرفناک
- مغاکمانند (maġâk-mânand)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- ژرفناک (žarf-nâk)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- وحشتناک (vahšat-nâk)extremely bad
- افتضاح (eftezâh)extremely bad
Polish beznadziejny
- beznadziejnyextremely bad
Portuguese abismal, abismal
- abismalpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- abismalextremely bad
Russian бездо́нный, отврати́тельный
- бездо́нный (bezdónnyj)pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
- отврати́тельный (otvratítelʹnyj)extremely bad
Spanish abismal
- abismalpertaining to, or resembling an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with abysmal
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
abysmal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abysmal
“abysmal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abysmal. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abysmal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abysmal.
Source: abysmal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.