adj
abysmal
uh-BIHZ-muhl
Abysmal (adj) means Extremely bad; of very poor quality. Example: “The team's defense was abysmal in the second half.”
adj
1
Extremely bad; of very poor quality.
"The team's defense was abysmal in the second half."
"Customer service at the store was abysmal."
2
Resembling a bottomless pit; immense and deep.
"The cave descended into an abysmal darkness."
How to use abysmal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually just means "really, really bad" — the deep-pit sense is much rarer today.
Common pairings
abysmal failure
abysmal performance
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more abysmal
- Superlative
- most abysmal
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The team's defense was _____ in the second half.
Etymology
Built from abysm, an older form of abyss, plus the adjective suffix -al.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “abysmal” mean?
The word “abysmal” means extremely bad; of very poor quality. In plain terms, usually just means "really, really bad" — the deep-pit sense is much rarer today.
How do you pronounce “abysmal”?
“Abysmal” is pronounced uh-BIHZ-muhl (/əˈbɪz.məl/ in IPA).
How do you use “abysmal” in a sentence?
Here is “abysmal” used in a sentence: “The team's defense was abysmal in the second half.”
What part of speech is “abysmal”?
“Abysmal” is an adjective.
How many meanings does “abysmal” have?
“Abysmal” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely bad; of very poor quality.
