Abysmal
adjective
Extremely bad or poor.
The team's performance was abysmal.
Often appears as...
- abysmal failure
- abysmal performance
adjective
Very deep.
The abysmal depth of the ocean floor was a mystery.
Often appears as...
- abysmal depth
- abysmal chasm
Usage tips
Neutral
Literary
adjective
Extremely bad or poor.
The team's performance was abysmal.
Often appears as...
- abysmal failure
- abysmal performance
adjective
Very deep.
The abysmal depth of the ocean floor was a mystery.
Often appears as...
- abysmal depth
- abysmal chasm
Usage tips
Neutral
Literary
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
The word 'abysmal' suggests a very strong level of disapproval or disappointment regarding quality.
His manners were abysmal, far beyond what we could overlook.
Pro Tip 2/3Intensity Amplifier
Use 'abysmal' to emphasize the severity of a situation or the extent of poor quality.
The conditions in the refugee camp were abysmal, much worse than reported.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Slight Dislikes
'Abysmal' is reserved for extreme cases and shouldn't be used for mild dissatisfaction.
It would be an overstatement to call a mildly unpleasant meal 'abysmal'.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
The word 'abysmal' suggests a very strong level of disapproval or disappointment regarding quality.
His manners were abysmal, far beyond what we could overlook.
Pro Tip 2/3Intensity Amplifier
Use 'abysmal' to emphasize the severity of a situation or the extent of poor quality.
The conditions in the refugee camp were abysmal, much worse than reported.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Slight Dislikes
'Abysmal' is reserved for extreme cases and shouldn't be used for mild dissatisfaction.
It would be an overstatement to call a mildly unpleasant meal 'abysmal'.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
The word 'abysmal' suggests a very strong level of disapproval or disappointment regarding quality.
His manners were abysmal, far beyond what we could overlook.
Pro Tip 2/3Intensity Amplifier
Use 'abysmal' to emphasize the severity of a situation or the extent of poor quality.
The conditions in the refugee camp were abysmal, much worse than reported.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Slight Dislikes
'Abysmal' is reserved for extreme cases and shouldn't be used for mild dissatisfaction.
It would be an overstatement to call a mildly unpleasant meal 'abysmal'.
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Video examples
Cultivating wealth and...
we've seen is the fact that we've had we have not had real private capital to raise capital and by that I mean cattle that demands an appropriate return on its investment second we've had abysmal political leadership and to me what that means is the private sector needs to
Video examples
How the coronavirus...
government has been has been has performed abysmally but on the economic front with all the partisanship in in Washington it is actually properly in the Federal Reserve as a part of that is properly reacting to the kind of historic nature of this so I think if
Video examples
Why winning doesn't...
My first few seasons as a head coach were abysmal, and after putting up with my brash coaching style for a few years, our team asked me for a team meeting. Well, I love team meetings, so I said, "Yay! Let's have a team meeting." And for two solid hours,
Video examples
The treadmill's dark and...
treadmills were created to punish English prisoners. At the time, the English prison system was abysmally bad. Execution and deportation were often the punishments of choice, and those who were locked away faced hours of solitude in filthy cells.
Video examples
Your brain on video...
first study done by colleagues at Stanford and then we replicated that showed that those people that identify as being high multimedia tasks are absolutely abysmal at multitasking when we measure them in the lab they're really bad right
Video examples
Your brain on video...
and that we replicated that showed that those people that identify as being high multimedia-taskers are absolutely abysmal at multitasking. When we measure them in the lab, they're really bad. Right? So these kinds of results really
Video examples
How a handful of fishing...
as a mainstay of food production for humanity. Yet something's gone badly wrong. We're accelerating into an extinction emergency, one that my field has so far failed abysmally to tackle.
Video examples
The new era of positive...
But in the third great arena of life, love, Len is an abysmal failure. And the reason he was, was that Len is a cold fish. Len is an introvert.
Video examples
On positive psychology -...
bridge player and but in the third great arena of life love Len is an abysmal failure and the reason he was was that Len is a cold fish
Video examples
George Ayittey: Cheetahs...
we've had abysmal leadership in Africa. That characterization, in my view, is even more charitable.
Video examples
Cultivating wealth and...
we've seen is the fact that we've had we have not had real private capital to raise capital and by that I mean cattle that demands an appropriate return on its investment second we've had abysmal political leadership and to me what that means is the private sector needs to
Video examples
How the coronavirus...
government has been has been has performed abysmally but on the economic front with all the partisanship in in Washington it is actually properly in the Federal Reserve as a part of that is properly reacting to the kind of historic nature of this so I think if
Video examples
Why winning doesn't...
My first few seasons as a head coach were abysmal, and after putting up with my brash coaching style for a few years, our team asked me for a team meeting. Well, I love team meetings, so I said, "Yay! Let's have a team meeting." And for two solid hours,
Video examples
The treadmill's dark and...
treadmills were created to punish English prisoners. At the time, the English prison system was abysmally bad. Execution and deportation were often the punishments of choice, and those who were locked away faced hours of solitude in filthy cells.
Video examples
Your brain on video...
first study done by colleagues at Stanford and then we replicated that showed that those people that identify as being high multimedia tasks are absolutely abysmal at multitasking when we measure them in the lab they're really bad right
Video examples
Your brain on video...
and that we replicated that showed that those people that identify as being high multimedia-taskers are absolutely abysmal at multitasking. When we measure them in the lab, they're really bad. Right? So these kinds of results really
Video examples
How a handful of fishing...
as a mainstay of food production for humanity. Yet something's gone badly wrong. We're accelerating into an extinction emergency, one that my field has so far failed abysmally to tackle.
Video examples
The new era of positive...
But in the third great arena of life, love, Len is an abysmal failure. And the reason he was, was that Len is a cold fish. Len is an introvert.
Video examples
On positive psychology -...
bridge player and but in the third great arena of life love Len is an abysmal failure and the reason he was was that Len is a cold fish
Video examples
George Ayittey: Cheetahs...
we've had abysmal leadership in Africa. That characterization, in my view, is even more charitable.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
James Spader
American Actor
There are some actors who are very good at developing things, who have... 'things in the pipeline.' I am abysmal at that kind of thing, loathe it, and am a terrible planner. Unless I'm showing up on the set and acting, I prefer to have nothing to do with the actual business of being an actor.
Quote examples
Richard Cohen
American Journalist
Republicans and others who are in anguish over the possibility of socialized medicine ought to have to explain their ideology to a mother with a sick newborn. They ought to have to explain how this nation can debate health care and not mention how abysmal ours is.
Quote examples
Jay Nixon
American Politician
We all know there are problems with Obamacare, and Washington's implementation of it has been abysmal. But rejecting Medicaid won't fix any of those things.
Quote examples
Beau Willimon
American Playwright
The economics of being a playwright are abysmal. I like to think of the work I do out in Hollywood as a way to actually make a life in the theater easier.
Quote examples
Laura Moser
American Author
Ohio has long been an embarrassment to charter-school supporters nationwide, with its trail of scandal and graft and abysmal student performance.
Quote examples
Kate Leth
Canadian Artist
I worked in a comic shop for five years, and the amount of titles I could excitedly recommend to teenage girls was pretty abysmal for awhile.
Quote examples
Marco Rubio
American Politician
With unemployment still abysmally high, the Obama economy is crushing Hispanics' dreams for their children to live a better life.
Quote examples
P. J. O'Rourke
American Comedian
I spent a lot of time behind the Iron Curtain, and their cars were abysmal.
Quote examples
Tommy Armour
Scottish Athlete
The most abysmal advise ever given by the ignorant to the stupid.
Quote examples
Pete Burns
English Musician
On reflection, I think the 1980s were a dreadful, abysmal time.
Quote examples
James Spader
American Actor
There are some actors who are very good at developing things, who have... 'things in the pipeline.' I am abysmal at that kind of thing, loathe it, and am a terrible planner. Unless I'm showing up on the set and acting, I prefer to have nothing to do with the actual business of being an actor.
Quote examples
Richard Cohen
American Journalist
Republicans and others who are in anguish over the possibility of socialized medicine ought to have to explain their ideology to a mother with a sick newborn. They ought to have to explain how this nation can debate health care and not mention how abysmal ours is.
Quote examples
Jay Nixon
American Politician
We all know there are problems with Obamacare, and Washington's implementation of it has been abysmal. But rejecting Medicaid won't fix any of those things.
Quote examples
Beau Willimon
American Playwright
The economics of being a playwright are abysmal. I like to think of the work I do out in Hollywood as a way to actually make a life in the theater easier.
Quote examples
Laura Moser
American Author
Ohio has long been an embarrassment to charter-school supporters nationwide, with its trail of scandal and graft and abysmal student performance.
Quote examples
Kate Leth
Canadian Artist
I worked in a comic shop for five years, and the amount of titles I could excitedly recommend to teenage girls was pretty abysmal for awhile.
Quote examples
Marco Rubio
American Politician
With unemployment still abysmally high, the Obama economy is crushing Hispanics' dreams for their children to live a better life.
Quote examples
P. J. O'Rourke
American Comedian
I spent a lot of time behind the Iron Curtain, and their cars were abysmal.
Quote examples
Tommy Armour
Scottish Athlete
The most abysmal advise ever given by the ignorant to the stupid.
Quote examples
Pete Burns
English Musician
On reflection, I think the 1980s were a dreadful, abysmal time.
Example 1 of 10
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