Which sentence correctly uses the word abysmal? While breaking one pencil during the SATs is bad luck, breaking six pencils is downright abysmal. Peering over the edge into the dark abysmal, Frank thought maybe he wasn’t cut out for caving. Jill could not understand Seth’s unflappable abysmal in the face of certain failure. Phil nearly fell into the deep abysmal due to his foolish habit of reading while walking.