1
a
: 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
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
The fact that frantic diplomatic officials and business leaders managed to convince Petro to turn back from the abyss highlights the degree to which the Colombian economy is dependent on exports to the United States.
—
Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
And, while everyone else was distracted by pandemics and politics and TikTok, the cold, skeletal hand of time pulled the millennials into the abyss.
—Alex Baia, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The group behind him, previously playing pool, drinking, or staring into the abyss, suddenly stands up as if charmed by the music and starts dancing, crouching and bobbing their heads, and responding, like a chorus, to the lines of the singer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
The United States’ postwar political identity has vanished into the abyss of the ballot box.
—Ivan Krastev, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abyss 
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Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
And, while everyone else was distracted by pandemics and politics and TikTok, the cold, skeletal hand of time pulled the millennials into the abyss.
—Alex Baia, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The group behind him, previously playing pool, drinking, or staring into the abyss, suddenly stands up as if charmed by the music and starts dancing, crouching and bobbing their heads, and responding, like a chorus, to the lines of the singer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
The United States’ postwar political identity has vanished into the abyss of the ballot box.
—Ivan Krastev, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abyss
Dictionary Entries Near abyss
Cite this Entry
“Abyss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abyss. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abyss
noun
: a gulf so deep or a space so great that it cannot be measured
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