Word
abysm
Definitions
01a deep chasm
n. a very deep hole or space that seems to have no bottom.
n. a physical or metaphorical abyss; a bottomless gulf or chasm.
“The mountain climbers looked down into the dark abysm below the cliff.”
“The explorers stood at the edge of the limestone abysm, watching as their torchlight was swallowed by the absolute darkness of the cavern.”
Literary
Usage
Usually used with the definite article 'the'.
Teaching tip
This is a rare, poetic version of 'abyss'. Students should recognize it in older literature but use 'abyss' or 'chasm' in their own writing.
02the distant past
n. a long period of time that is hard to imagine or remember.
n. an immeasurable period of time, often referring to the distant past.
“The old legends were lost in the abysm of time.”
“The historian attempted to recover fragments of the lost civilization from the dark abysm of time, where most records had long since perished.”
Literary · Archaic
Usage
Commonly found in the fixed phrase 'abysm of time'.
Teaching tip
This sense is almost exclusively found in 19th-century literature or very formal modern poetry.
Etymology
From Middle English abime, from Old French abisme from Late Latin *abyssimus, a superlative of abyssus (“bottomless pit”), from Ancient Greek ἄβυσσος (ábussos). Cognate to French abîme. See also abyss.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/abysm