abysm
abysm · abysms
An abyss; a gulf, a chasm, a very deep holeAn abyss; a gulf, a chasm, a very deep hole.
/əˈbɪzəm/
Meaning
2 senses(literary)An abyss; a gulf, a chasm, a very deep hole.
(archaic, poetic)Hell; the infernal pit; the great deep; the primal chaos.
More definitions
- a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
Origin
From Middle English abime, from Old French abisme from Late Latin *abyssimus, a superlativFrom Middle English abime, from Old French abisme from Late Latin *abyssimus, a superlative of abyssus (“bottomless pit”), from Ancient Greek ἄβυσσος (ábussos). Cognate to French abîme. See also abyss.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: abysmsSynonyms
1 synonymsClose in meaning
- a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively):abyss