Abyss
Word of the Day
What is Abyss?
noun
A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm; a profound depth of space, thought, or emotion.
Pronunciation
Why This Word?
Chosen to explore the poetic and philosophical edges of human experience — where fear and discovery often live side by side.
Examples of Use
Here's how this word appears in everyday language:
She gazed into the abyss, her thoughts too heavy to speak aloud.
The company teetered on the abyss of bankruptcy.
In solitude, he sometimes felt he was drifting toward an inner abyss.
Word Origins
Greek ábyssos meaning “bottomless”
Originally used in religious texts to describe the underworld or the infinite void.
First appearance in English: 14th century
Word Family
Related forms of this word:
-
Adjective:
They faced abysmal odds but refused to give up.
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Noun:
He fell into a void of grief and isolation.
-
Noun:
There was a chasm of misunderstanding between them.
Around the World
How this word appears in other languages:
- Spanish: abismo
- French: abîme
- German: Abgrund
- Italian: abisso
- Portuguese: abismo
If you Already Know This Word
If you've mastered this word, try these more advanced alternatives:
Void
“Void” suggests emptiness; “abyss” emphasizes depth and danger.
Chasm
“Chasm” is often physical; “abyss” includes emotional or cosmic vastness.
Despair
“Despair” is a feeling; “abyss” is a space — internal or external — where such feelings reside.
Fun Facts
- The Mariana Trench — the deepest oceanic abyss — is over 36,000 feet deep.
- In some psychological theories, “the abyss” symbolizes the unconscious or a crisis of meaning.
Cultural Usage
- Nietzsche warned, “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”
- In many myths, the abyss is a gateway to the underworld or chaos.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes confused with “chasm” or “pit”; “abyss” suggests emotional, existential, or cosmic scale.
Micro Story
He stood at the edge of the abyss — not of rock, but of uncertainty.