1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
The coach apologized for the abysmal performance of the team in the loss.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deep
extending far downward
Strange sounds echoed from the abysmal reaches of the cave.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abysmal
An abysmal start to the 2025 season last fall led to Penn State firing then head coach James Franklin and promoting Smith on an interim basis.
—
Rich Walsh, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Vegas has been abysmal early in games this season, getting outscored 59-77 in the first period.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
However the early tea industry in India was hampered by poor quality, low financial returns, and abysmal working conditions.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2026
Locally, that also translates to abysmal conditions in the Clear Creek basin, where Westminster gets most of its water.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abysmal
Rich Walsh, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Vegas has been abysmal early in games this season, getting outscored 59-77 in the first period.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
However the early tea industry in India was hampered by poor quality, low financial returns, and abysmal working conditions.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2026
Locally, that also translates to abysmal conditions in the Clear Creek basin, where Westminster gets most of its water.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abysmal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abysmal
Adjective
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The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But for many, the occasion carried a deeper meaning, one centered on those who dreamed of connecting Los Angeles to Chicago by road generations before them.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The songs were radiant, ecstatic, and cleansing, a deep exhale from a band freed from boardroom expectations.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
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There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These advancements demonstrate the technology’s rapid evolution from basic digital navigation to complex physical interaction, offering patients a path to re-engage with society in profound new ways.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
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The film will chart Butcher’s life on and off the pitch, including the profound impact of losing his son, as well as his subsequent work with peer-support organization Combat2Coffee.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Their banter is empty because outside the season’s premiere, The Boys hasn’t actually shown us this awful America, and how everyone within it, including celebrities, are at risk.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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This state has had some awful governors, but none in modern times ever attempted anything so repugnant as exposing more children to deadly diseases, as DeSantis has.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Some experts worry the overall decrease in homework could be a problem for math achievement, at a time when math scores across the country are already at a dismal low.—
Ariel Gilreath,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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That version of Desert Warrior was test-screened in Las Vegas to dismal results.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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But that’s exactly what happened in the second half of an atrocious Rockets’ Game 2 loss to the Lakers.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abysmal. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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