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
The list is long, but two of the frontrunners include possessing an irrational phobia of the banana (never had one, never will) and being an abysmal sight reader.
—
Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 26 June 2024
The 1901 assassination of US President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo revealed the abysmal state of race relations in America.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Amid abysmal heat in Connecticut this week weather forecasters had predicted days of intermittent rain.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024
First up is a weak Bolivia side which has endured an abysmal start to World Cup qualifying, losing five of its first six matches, before a clash against familiar CONCACAF opponent Panama.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for abysmal 
Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 26 June 2024
The 1901 assassination of US President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo revealed the abysmal state of race relations in America.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Amid abysmal heat in Connecticut this week weather forecasters had predicted days of intermittent rain.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024
First up is a weak Bolivia side which has endured an abysmal start to World Cup qualifying, losing five of its first six matches, before a clash against familiar CONCACAF opponent Panama.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for abysmal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abysmal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near abysmal
Cite this Entry
“Abysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abysmal. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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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