/ əˈbɪzməl; NAmE / adjective
extremely bad or of a very low standard
SYN terrible
► abys·mal·ly adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (used literally as in 'very deep'): from abysm, from Old French abisme , medieval Latin abysmus , alteration of late Latin abyssus bottomless pit. The figurative meaning dates from the early 19th cent.