abysmal

adjective

abys·​mal ə-ˈbiz-məl How to pronounce abysmal (audio)
a-
1
a
: immeasurably low or wretched : extremely poor or bad
abysmal ignorance/poverty
abysmal living conditions
an abysmal performance
b
: having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward
an abysmal cliff
2
abysmally adverb
abysmally ignorant
an abysmally poor performance

Examples of abysmal in a Sentence

They were living in abysmal ignorance. a desperate cry echoing from the abysmal reaches of the cave
Recent Examples on the Web
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Meanwhile, the Gators shot an abysmal 21 of 31 from the free throw line in an 83-82 loss to unranked Missouri, which was not nearly as close as the final score indicates. Lindsay Schnell, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 Nothing easy at the line: The Bearcats shoot an abysmal 62.8% from the free-throw line, ranking No. 355. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 11 Jan. 2025 Yet test scores are abysmal as teacher unions block changes needed to improve schools that affect their members. Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025 The absolute death knell for the former was that last year’s ceremony had abysmal audio inside the ballroom, giving no incentive for the guests to play along with being lightly roasted. Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for abysmal 

Word History

Etymology

abysm + -al entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of abysmal was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near abysmal

Cite this Entry

“Abysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abysmal. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

abysmal

adjective
abys·​mal ə-ˈbiz-məl How to pronounce abysmal (audio)
1
a
: extremely poor or bad
abysmal living conditions
b
: having an immense extension downward, backward, or inward
2
abysmally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on abysmal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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