abysmal
adjective
abys·mal
ə-ˈbiz-məl 
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
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
Though the book was met with abysmal reviews, it was included in a larger collection of Bowles’s work that received critical acclaim in her lifetime, and in recent years has become an object of fervid admiration.
—
Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Instead, Mullen’s at UNLV, racking up victories as if that abysmal 2021 season that ended his Florida tenure never happened.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2025
Their offense has also been abysmal since the break, posting the majors’ 23rd-best wRC+.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Capital outlays are rising, but its last attempt to tap equity markets for 500 billion yen in November was abysmal.
—Hudson Lockett, Reuters, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abysmal
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Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Instead, Mullen’s at UNLV, racking up victories as if that abysmal 2021 season that ended his Florida tenure never happened.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2025
Their offense has also been abysmal since the break, posting the majors’ 23rd-best wRC+.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Capital outlays are rising, but its last attempt to tap equity markets for 500 billion yen in November was abysmal.
—Hudson Lockett, Reuters, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abysmal
Cite this Entry
“Abysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abysmal. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abysmal
adjective
abys·mal
ə-ˈbiz-məl
1
a
: extremely poor or bad
abysmal living conditions
b
: having an immense extension downward, backward, or inward
2
: abyssal
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