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abime
/a.bim/
abyss
Le plongeur a regardé dans l'abime.
The diver looked into the abyss.
formal
A deep, bottomless chasm or pit; an abyss.
L'abime était si profond qu'on ne pouvait pas en voir le fond.
The abyss was so deep that you couldn't see the bottom.
Often used metaphorically to describe something vast or insurmountable.
literary
A state of despair or hopelessness.
Il était tombé dans l'abime du désespoir.
He had fallen into the abyss of despair.
Used in literary contexts to describe emotional or psychological states.
Collocations
plonger dans l'abimeto plunge into the abyssl'abime du désespoirthe abyss of despair
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Metaphorical Use
'Abime' is frequently used metaphorically to describe extreme emotional states or overwhelming challenges.
Gold Rule
Spelling
Note the accent on the 'e' (é) in 'abime', which distinguishes it from the verb 'abîmer' (to damage).
Word Origin
From Old French 'abisme', from Latin 'abyssus', from Greek 'ἄβυσσος' (ábyssos), meaning 'bottomless'.
Usage Notes
In modern French, 'abime' is often used in literary or poetic contexts to evoke a sense of depth or vastness, both physically and metaphorically.
Word Breakdown
a-
prefix indicating 'away from'
prefix-bime
from Latin 'byssus', meaning 'depth'
rootDictionnaire Français-Anglais