What does abysmally mean?
Abysmally is an adverb meaning to an extremely bad or inadequate degree. It is used to intensify statements about poor quality, performance, or level: a team may play abysmally, a plan may fail abysmally, or pay may be described as abysmally low. The word derives from 'abyss', the Greek term for a bottomless chasm, and retains that sense of depth — something done abysmally has sunk about as far as it can go. Strongly negative in connotation, it appears in both formal criticism and everyday complaint, and pairs naturally with words like 'poor', 'low', 'slow', and 'inadequate'. Its adjective counterpart, 'abysmal', describes the thing itself rather than the manner or degree, making the two useful for varying expression when discussing failure or deficiency.
adverbTo an extremely bad or inadequate degree; very poorly or unsuccessfully. It intensifies adjectives and verbs to indicate something is of shockingly low quality or standard.
- To an extremely bad or inadequate degree; very poorly.
- To a vast or immeasurable extent (used with quantities or levels, as in 'abysmally low wages').
"The team played abysmally in the first half, conceding four goals before the break."
"The restaurant's service was abysmally slow, and the food arrived cold."
"Wages in the sector remain abysmally low despite record company profits."
Abysmally comes from 'abyss' — so when your exam goes abysmally, it has literally fallen into a bottomless pit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abysmally
Abysmally derives from 'abysm', an early English form of 'abyss', which entered Middle English via Old French from Late Latin 'abyssus', itself borrowed from Greek 'abyssos' meaning 'bottomless'. The adjective 'abysmal' formed from 'abysm' in the early 19th century, originally meaning 'of or like an abyss', before shifting to its modern sense of 'extremely bad'; the adverb 'abysmally' followed. Cognates sharing the Greek root include 'abyss' itself.
Related word forms
How abysmally is actually used
Abysmally carries a strongly negative connotation and is common in both formal criticism and informal complaint. It frequently modifies adjectives of degree such as 'low', 'poor', and 'small', as well as verbs like 'fail' and 'perform'.
Easily confused with abysmally
Abysmal is the adjective describing something extremely bad (an abysmal performance), while abysmally is the adverb describing how an action is done or a degree is reached (they performed abysmally).