abyss

noun \ ə-ˈbis , a- also ˈa-(ˌ)bis \

Updated on: 30 Nov 2017

Definition of abyss

1 a : an immeasurably deep gulf or great space

gazed down into the gaping abyss

the ocean's abysses

(figurative) a widening abyss between the rich and the poor

b : intellectual or moral depths

an abyss of moral depravity

an abyss of despair

2 : the bottomless gulf, pit, or chaos of the old cosmogonies

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Examples of abyss in a Sentence

looking down at the dark ocean from the ship's rail, the cruise passenger felt as though he was staring into an abyss

Recent Examples of abyss from the Web

Half-time on Wednesday must have seemed like staring into the abyss for the West Ham manager, with goals from Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli putting the game firmly in Tottenham’s control.

— SI.com, "West Ham Boss Bilic Shares His Half-Time Talk Strategy for Remarkable Comeback Win Against Spurs," 26 Oct. 2017
Like Snapchat images, old profiles were not meant to be cherished and archived online but to be thrown to the digital abyss after a while.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Saying goodbye to the proto-social network of AOL Instant Messenger," 8 Oct. 2017
Yes, please cover some of the yawning abysses of poverty and violence in our society, but keep putting successes out there, too, so people can have hope and a pathway to peace together.

— jean stefan, The Christian Science Monitor, "Readers write: Fighting hate in Idaho, all-hands response to hurricane, left a piece of her heart in St. John," 7 Oct. 2017
For example, the name of a deep depression is Adlivun Cavus, after the underworld in Inuit mythology, while the ridge Tartarus Dorsa is named for the deep prison abyss in the Greek underworld.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "Pluto’s Surface Features Get Their First Official Names," 8 Sep. 2017
Recent history dictates that Mark Dantonio and his staff can rescue MSU from a down year, though none previous can match the 3-9 abyss from a year ago.

— chris solari, Detroit Free Press, "5 questions for 2017 Michigan State football: Is Brian Lewerke the future?," 31 Aug. 2017
All my jars of assorted grains and seeds are labeled in my pantry, yet my containers of leftovers were lost in the abyss of my fridge.

— alyse whitney, Bon Appetit, "Masking Tape Will Save Your Life in the Kitchen," 19 Aug. 2017
The team of 30 international scientists and technicians will continue exploring Australia's eastern abyss until mid-June.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Nightmarish, Toothy Lizard Fish Found in Ocean Deep," 7 June 2017
The lesson was that voters care about results, and an electorate supporting a fringe party out of frustration won’t blithely follow that party into an abyss.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "Austria’s Not So Scary Right Turn," 16 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abyss.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abyss

borrowed from Late Latin abyssus, borrowed from Greek ábyssos "bottomless, unfathomable, (as noun) bottomless gulf," from a- ²a- + byssós "depth of the sea," probably going back to *byth-yos, derivative of bythós "depth, deepest part, bottom," probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

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First Known Use: 14th century

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