abisso
/aˈbis.so/masculine
The English word abyss is translated into Italian as abisso.
abisso is a masculine noun used to describe a bottomless or unfathomed depth.
Meaning: bottomless or unfathomed depth (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of abisso is abissi. Note that when using the preposition in (in/into) with the definite article l', the two words contract to nell'abisso.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables. The IPA is /aˈbis.so/.
Did you know?
- The word abisso is frequently used in Italian to describe a profound emotional or social gap between two people, such as un abisso tra genitori e figli for 'a huge gap between parents and children'.
- The Italian word abisso is a cognate of the English 'abyss', both stemming from the Late Latin abyssus and the Ancient Greek ábŭssos.
- In scientific Italian, zona abissale refers specifically to the deepest parts of the ocean, rather than a general deep area.
Examples in context
- È stato inghiottito dall'abisso.He was swallowed by the abyss.Tatoeba #4402286 by Guybrush88, translation #3472430 by AlanF_US
- Il Marocco rischia di cadere nell'abisso.Morocco risks falling into the abyss.Tatoeba #11106840 by Guybrush88, translation #11074538 by Amastan
- Mi sentii scivolare nell'abisso della vergogna.I felt myself slipping into the abyss of shame.Tatoeba #11671972 by Nuel, translation #11671970 by Nuel
- Ho perso il controllo del veicolo e mi sono quasi precipitato nell'abisso.I lost control of the vehicle and almost fell into the abyss.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two hikers are standing at the edge of a canyon.
- MartinaGuarda quanto è profondo questo abisso.Look how deep this abyss is.
- AlessandroSì, sembra un abisso senza fine.Yes, it looks like an endless abyss.
- MartinaAlessandro, non avvicinarti troppo al bordo.Alessandro, don't get too close to the edge.
- AlessandroHai ragione, Martina, andiamo via.You're right, Martina, let's go away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “abyss” translations and entries abisso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abisso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
