abyss

abyss — noun

1. a space or opening in the ground that goes down so far you cannot see or find it

1.名詞B2
釋義

a space or opening in the ground that goes down so far you cannot see or find its bottom

例句

After the landslide, Eleanor stared into a dark abyss that had opened behind her house.

collocation: dark abyss

A team of divers explored the deep abyss near the coral reef with underwater lights.

collocation: deep abyss

同義詞
  • chasm

    a deep crack in rock or ice; suggests width more than depth

  • gulf

    a large area of sea partly surrounded by land; figuratively suggests separation rather than depth

  • void

    a completely empty space; emphasises absence rather than extreme depth

反義詞
  • surface

    the top layer of the ground; the opposite of a deep opening

用法筆記

Also used figuratively for feelings of emptiness, loneliness, or vastness (e.g. 'an abyss of silence'). For situations of danger or destruction, see sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The hikers fell into a chasm that seemed bottomless.
✅The hikers fell into an abyss that seemed bottomless.
💡A chasm is a wide crack between rock faces; an abyss emphasises the lack of a visible bottom.
❌There was an abyss hole in the ground.
✅There was an abyss in the ground.
💡Abyss already means 'deep hole'; do not add 'hole' after it.

2. a dangerous or hopeless state that is extremely difficult or impossible to escap

2.名詞B2
釋義

a dangerous or hopeless state that is extremely difficult or impossible to escape from, often involving trouble or destruction

例句

Kwame sank into an abyss of despair after he lost his job and home.

pattern: abyss of + abstract noun (despair)

Years of war and poor management had dragged the small country into an economic abyss.

collocation: drag into an abyss

同義詞
  • crisis

    a time of intense difficulty; less permanent than abyss, often implies a turning point

  • catastrophe

    an event causing great damage; focuses on the disaster itself rather than the ongoing situation

  • ordeal

    a painful or difficult experience; more personal and usually temporary

反義詞
  • safety

    the condition of being protected from harm or danger

  • salvation

    deliverance from trouble or destruction

文法句型

abyss + of + abstract noun (despair, debt, ignorance)

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the pattern 'abyss of + abstract noun' (abyss of despair, abyss of debt, abyss of ignorance). The subject is usually a person, group, or country. Almost always singular.

常見錯誤

❌The company faced an abyss of financial crisis.
✅The company faced an abyss of debt.
💡'abyss of' pairs best with specific negative states (despair, debt, ignorance), not with abstract phrases like 'financial crisis'.
❌She was in the abyss.
✅She was in an abyss of hopelessness.
💡In this sense, abyss is usually modified by 'of + noun' to specify the type of difficulty.