ABYSMAL –adjective 1. of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great. 2. extremely or hopelessly bad or severe: abysmal ignorance; abysmal poverty. EXAMPLE: In his empty gaze, I saw the realities of our abysmal relationship: the cold space between us, the longing for something more, the threat of broken promises and long fights, and the reality that we were doomed before we started.