fathomless

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈfæðəmləs/ UK /ˈfæðəmləs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
too deep to be measured; impossible to comprehend

They stared into the fathomless dark of the cave.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · too deep to be measured;... bottomless unfathomableunmeasurableabysmal inscrutable incomprehensible profound

Opposites

shallow comprehensible measurable

Word family

Derived forms fathomlesslyfathomlessness

Related forms fathomfathomableunfathomable

Etymology

From 'fathom' + the privative suffix '-less'. 'Fathom' is from Old English 'fæðm' ('outstretched arms, embrace, a length of about six feet'), from Proto-Germanic '*faþmaz', from Proto-Indo-European '*peth₂-' ('to spread out').

fæðm Old English *peth₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# fathomless

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈfæðəmləs
**IPA (UK):** ˈfæðəmləs

## Meanings
1. too deep to be measured; impossible to comprehend

## Examples
- They stared into the fathomless dark of the cave.

## Synonyms
- bottomless
- unfathomable
- unmeasurable
- abysmal
- inscrutable
- incomprehensible
- profound

## Antonyms
- shallow
- comprehensible
- measurable

## Derived Forms
- fathomlessly
- fathomlessness

## Related Forms
- fathom
- fathomable
- unfathomable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fæðm
- Root: *peth₂-

## Etymology
From 'fathom' + the privative suffix '-less'. 'Fathom' is from Old English 'fæðm' ('outstretched arms, embrace, a length of about six feet'), from Proto-Germanic '*faþmaz', from Proto-Indo-European '*peth₂-' ('to spread out').

## AI Etymology
Fathomless comes from 'fathom' + the privative suffix '-less'. 'Fathom' is from Old English 'fæðm' ('outstretched arms, embrace, a length of about six feet'), from Proto-Germanic '*faþmaz', from Proto-Indo-European '*peth₂-' ('to spread out'). The historical trail runs through Old English fæðm and Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means too deep to be measured; impossible to comprehend. Derived formations include fathomlessly, fathomlessness; related forms include fathom, fathomable, unfathomable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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fathomless

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