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abismo

abyss

noun ah-BEES-moh Rare
Travel & Places Geography

Origin: From Late Latin abyssimus, superlative of abyssus (abyss), ultimately from Greek abyssos (bottomless).

Also means

chasm

Usage Note

Abismo can refer to a literal precipice or an immense figurative gap — un abismo entre las dos culturas (a gulf between the two cultures). The phrase estar al borde del abismo (to be on the brink of the abyss) is a common journalistic expression. It is a masculine noun: el abismo.

Examples

"Miraron al fondo del abismo con miedo."

Natural Translation

They looked down into the abyss with fear.

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