abyss
noun
\ ə-ˈbis
, a- also ˈa-(ˌ)bis\
, a- also ˈa-(ˌ)bis\
Definition of abyss
1a
: 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 on the Web
Those office cupcakes that appeared out of the abyss can be a delicious and spontaneous snack. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Here's What a Healthy Snack Actually Looks Like," 26 Aug. 2019 The United States has pushed itself and the rest of the world into probably the brink of an abyss. — Washington Post, "American warship destroys Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz," 19 July 2019 Somehow, as Syria’s descent into the abyss continues apace, the scope of the calamity that has already come to pass is difficult to gauge. — Brian Stewart, National Review, "For Sama: A Chronicle of the Syrian Tragedy," 10 Aug. 2019 One thing brought the game back from the abyss: Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s pursuit of a record 62 home runs, a race that captivated fans in a way that no longer seemed possible. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "Baseball Has a Home Run Crisis," 8 July 2019 In other words, a grand company continually needing rescue from the abyss, an ennobling endeavor, a way to communicate across time and space. — John Koethe, The New York Review of Books, "Ange Mlinko," 23 May 2019 The controversy, which should never have occurred, should have been over, but the Democrats have managed to cantilever themselves two more steps out on the limb that protrudes over the political abyss. — Conrad Black, National Review, "Trump: A Brief History Thereof," 1 Aug. 2019 Yet this was the dominant theoretical view right up to the crisis in money markets in mid-August, 2007, through to the world standing at the edge of the abyss of another global depression when Lehman Brothers collapsed in October 2008. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, "Real World Economics: ‘Inflation is solved’? Don’t bank on it," 28 July 2019 Mighty condors once circled the abyss of extinction. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "How the California condor returned from the brink of extinction," 24 July 2019These 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.
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More Definitions for abyss
abyss
noun
\ ə-ˈbis
\
\
Kids Definition of abyss
: a gulf so deep or space so great that it cannot be measured
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