a very deep wide space or hole that seems to have no bottom 深淵 Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他們前面是一個巨大的深淵。 They took a long look into the abyss before deciding whether to jump. 在決定是否跳下去之前,他們對深淵進行了長時間的觀察。 - (figurative)
an abyss of ignorance/despair/loneliness 無知到極點;徹底絕望;無盡的孤寂 - (figurative)
The country is stepping back from the edge of an abyss. 該國臨淵而退。 teetering on the edge of the abyss of total political wipeout 徘徊在徹底政治毀滅的深淵邊緣
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘infernal pit’): via late Latin from Greek abussos ‘bottomless’, from a- ‘without’ + bussos ‘depth’.