abysmal

IPA/əˈbɪzməl/
KK[əbˈɪzməl]IPA/əˈbɪzməl/

abysmal — adjective

  • abysmalpositive
  • more abysmalcomparative
  • most abysmalsuperlative

1. so bad or so poor in quality that it shocks or upsets people; the lowest possibl

1.形容詞C1
釋義

so bad or so poor in quality that it shocks or upsets people; the lowest possible standard of something

例句

The hotel room was in abysmal condition, with broken furniture and no running water.

abysmal + condition (collocation for poor state)

Constanza said the team's abysmal performance made the coach leave early in anger.

abysmal + performance (common collocation)

同義詞
  • terrible

    more common in everyday speech; less formal

  • dreadful

    slightly old-fashioned; common in British English

  • appalling

    emphasises shock and moral disapproval

  • atrocious

    suggests offensively bad, often of behaviour or taste

反義詞

文法句型

abysmal + noun

be + abysmal

用法筆記

Stronger than 'bad' or 'poor' — use 'abysmal' only when the quality is shockingly low. The subject is usually a performance, condition, standard, or result.

常見錯誤

❌The abyssal performance of the team cost them the match.
✅The abysmal performance of the team cost them the match.
💡'abyssal' refers to ocean depths; 'abysmal' means extremely bad.

2. so deep that the bottom cannot be seen or measured; like a vast, dark chasm with

2.形容詞C2
釋義

so deep that the bottom cannot be seen or measured; like a vast, dark chasm with no visible end

例句

Haruto stood at the edge of the abysmal canyon, unable to see the bottom.

abysmal + canyon / physical depth

The divers descended into the abysmal trench where sunlight never reached.

同義詞
  • bottomless

    more common in everyday speech; less formal

  • fathomless

    poetic; emphasises being beyond measurement

  • yawning

    describes a wide, gaping opening rather than depth alone

反義詞

文法句型

abysmal + noun (depth, darkness, chasm, void)

用法筆記

Literary or poetic. In everyday English, 'bottomless' or 'unfathomably deep' are more common. Distinguish from sense 1 (EXTREMELY BAD): this sense describes physical depth, not quality.