abysmal
1abysmal — abysmal, abyssal The currency of these two words is in inverse proportion to that of the parent words: abysmal, with its figurative meaning ‘very bad’ and a literal meaning relating to gorges, outer space, etc., is common, whereas abyssal is… …
2Abysmal — A*bys mal, a. Pertaining to, or resembling, an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound. [1913 Webster] Geology gives one the same abysmal extent of time that astronomy does of space. Carlyle. [1913 Webster] …
3abysmal — (adj.) 1650s, formed in English from ABYSM (Cf. abysm) + AL (Cf. al) (1). Weakened sense of extremely bad is first recorded 1904, perhaps from abysmal ignorance (suggestive of its depth ), an expression attested from 1847. Related: Abysmally …
4abysmal — [adj1] great extent; immeasurable bottomless, boundless, complete, deep, endless, extreme, illimitable, incalculable, infinite, profound, thorough, unending, unfathomable, vast; concepts 772,793 Ant. infinite abysmal [adj2] extending deeply… …
5abysmal — [ə biz′məl] adj. [ ABYSM + AL] 1. of or like an abyss; bottomless; unfathomable 2. wretched to the point of despair; immeasurably bad [abysmal poverty] abysmally adv …
6abysmal — index profound (intense) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …
7abysmal — *deep, profound Analogous words: illimitable, *infinite Contrasted words: *superficial, shallow …
8abysmal — ► ADJECTIVE 1) informal extremely bad. 2) literary very deep. DERIVATIVES abysmally adverb …
9abysmal — adjective Date: circa 1656 1. a. having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward < an abysmal cliff > b. immeasurably great ; profound < …
10abysmal — [[t]əbɪ̱zm(ə)l[/t]] ADJ GRADED If you describe a situation or the condition of something as abysmal, you think that it is very bad or poor in quality. Our abysmal record at producing scientifically trained and numerate manpower will cripple us …
