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
With the Rockies' abysmal start to the season, the Yankees may be the ideal landing spot for McMahon, filling the holes the team needs while landing on the reigning American League Champions.
—
Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Then, skylines in several major cities were blanketed by an orange haze and air quality was abysmal for millions of Americans.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Stella’s Body Condition Score — a tool used to determine if a dog is underweight — was an abysmal 1 out of 9, the vet staff determined.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 June 2025
Yes, there will be better days ahead for Matt Chapman (who had a great game Wednesday after shortening his swing) and perhaps even Willy Adames (who is now hitting .208 with an abysmal .621 OPS).
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abysmal
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Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Then, skylines in several major cities were blanketed by an orange haze and air quality was abysmal for millions of Americans.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Stella’s Body Condition Score — a tool used to determine if a dog is underweight — was an abysmal 1 out of 9, the vet staff determined.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 June 2025
Yes, there will be better days ahead for Matt Chapman (who had a great game Wednesday after shortening his swing) and perhaps even Willy Adames (who is now hitting .208 with an abysmal .621 OPS).
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 May 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 12 Jun. 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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