abysmal
pronunciation
How to pronounce abysmal in British English:
UK [əˈbɪzməl]
How to pronounce abysmal in American English:
US [əˈbɪzməl]
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- Adjective:
- very great; limitless
- so deep as to be unmeasurable
Word Origin
- abysmal (adj.)
- 1650s, formed in English from abysm + -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.
Example
- 1. In his second term , he plans to take on the city 's abysmal education attainment level .
- 2. The main reason for the dithering is the abysmal performance of second boards elsewhere , after the bursting of the high-tech bubble .
- 3. A flight to safety is a contributing factor , but it seems that markets either anticipate decades of abysmal economic growth , or the risk premium for holding long-dated bonds is unsustainably low , thanks in part to central-bank purchases .