different between abysmal vs fathomless

English

Etymology

abysm +? -al

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??b?z.m?l/
• Rhymes: -?zm?l

Adjective

abysmal (comparative more abysmal, superlative most abysmal)

1. (now rare) Pertaining to, or resembling an abyss. [First attested in the mid 17^th century.]

   Synonyms: unending, profound, fathomless, immeasurable

   • 1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling

     The latter [geology] gives one the same sort of bewildering view of the abysmal extent of Time that Astronomy does of Space. [First attested in the early 19^th century.]}}

2. (figuratively) extremely bad; terrible.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "abysmal" is often applied: ignorance, record, performance, poverty, conditions, quality, perplexity, result, service, and failure.

Translations

References

Further reading

• abysmal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• abysmal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• balsamy

Portuguese

Adjective

abysmal (plural abysmaes, comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of abismal

English

Etymology

fathom +? -less

Adjective

fathomless (comparative more fathomless, superlative most fathomless)

1. Very deep (especially of water deeper than a lead line can measure); bottomless.
2. (by extension) unfathomable or incomprehensible.

Synonyms

• (very deep): soundless; See also Thesaurus:deep
• (incomprehensible): ungraspable, unknowable; See also Thesaurus:incomprehensible

Derived terms

• fathomlessly

Translations