What does chasm mean?
A chasm is a deep, steep-sided opening in the earth — a gorge, ravine, or abyss — and, by natural extension from that image, any vast and difficult-to-cross divide. In its literal sense it describes dramatic physical features, from glacial crevasses to canyon walls, often with an air of danger or awe. Far more frequently today, the word appears figuratively: writers speak of a chasm between rich and poor, between what politicians promise and deliver, or between generations whose outlooks no longer meet. This figurative use carries strong connotations of separation so profound that ordinary effort cannot easily bridge it, which is why phrases like 'bridge the chasm' are so common. Derived from the Greek khasma, meaning 'gaping hollow', it shares ancestry with 'chaos', reinforcing its sense of a void. Precise, vivid, and slightly formal, 'chasm' remains one of English's most effective words for expressing unbridgeable distance.
A deep fissure or cleft in the earth, such as a gorge or abyss.
"The rope bridge swayed precariously above a sheer chasm."
Often intensified by adjectives such as 'yawning' or 'wide'.
A marked division or difference of opinion, interest, or feeling separating two parties.
"The report highlighted a widening chasm between executive pay and average wages."
Almost always used with 'between' when figurative.
Regular plural; used for multiple literal fissures or several distinct divides.
"Earthquakes left deep chasms across the valley floor."
The Greek root of 'chasm' also gave us 'chaos' — to the ancients, both were the same thing: a vast, gaping emptiness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chasm
'Chasm' comes from the Greek 'khasma' (χάσμα), meaning a gaping hollow or void, derived from the verb 'khaskein', to yawn or gape. It entered English via Latin 'chasma' in the late sixteenth century, initially describing physical abysses. Its Greek relative 'khaos' gave English the word 'chaos', making the two terms etymological siblings rooted in the same image of a yawning void.
How chasm is actually used
Standard in both formal and everyday registers; the figurative sense (a gulf between opinions, classes, or experiences) is now at least as common as the literal geological one. The plural is 'chasms'.
Easily confused with chasm
'Chasm' is a deep fissure or figurative divide, while 'spasm' is a sudden involuntary muscular contraction.