Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

avgrunn m ‎(definite singular avgrunnen, indefinite plural avgrunner, definite plural avgrunnene)

1. abyss, chasm (a bottomless or unfathomed depth), also used in a figurative sense (****, place of suffering)

   Fjellklatreren gled og falt ned i avgrunnen.

   The mountaineer slipped and fell into the chasm.

   De fordømte skal fortapes i avgrunnens pine.

   The damned shall perish in the suffering of the abyss.

   Det er lett nok å se ned i avgrunnen, når du står trygt. (Marit Tusvik)

   When standing safely, it's easy enough to look down into the abyss.

   Det var en avgrunn mellom deres synspunkter.

   There was a huge gap between their points of view.

Synonyms

• (abyss; unfathomed depth, chasm) botnløyse, brådyp, bråstup, bunnløshet, canyon, dyp, gap, gjel, juv, kløft, sluk, slukt, stup, svelg
• (gap; difference) avstand, forskjell
• (****, ruin) fordervelse, helvete, nød, undergang

Derived terms

• avgrunnsdjup/avgrunnsdyp
• på avgrunnens rand
• menneskesjelens avgrunner

References

• “avgrunn” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “avgrunn” in The Bokmål Dictionary / The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• entry on "avgrunn" on Siterte sitater ("Quoted quotes")

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Compound word, av ‎(“off”) + grunn ‎(“ground”), loan-translation from Middle Low German (compare German Abgrund).

Noun

avgrunn m ‎(definite singular avgrunnen, indefinite plural avgrunnar, definite plural avgrunnane)

1. abyss, chasm (a bottomless or unfathomed depth), also used in a figurative sense (****, place of suffering)

   Fjellklatraren glei og fall ned i avgrunnen.

   The mountaineer slipped and fell into the chasm.

   Dei fordømte skal fortapast i avgrunnens pine.

   The damned shall perish in the suffering of the abyss.

   Avgrunnen er til å stige opp or, og ikkje til å forkomast i. (Tarjei Vesaas)

   To emerge from it and not to perish in it is why the abyss exists. (literally: "the abyss exists to emerge from, and not to perish in")

   Det var en avgrunn mellom synspunkta deira.

   There was a huge gap between their points of view.

Synonyms

• (abyss; unfathomed depth, chasm) botnløyse, brådjup, bråstup, canyon, djup, gap, gjel, juv, kløft/kluft, sluk, slukt, stup, svelg
• (gap; difference) avstand, forskjell
• (****, ruin) forderving, forderv, helvete, naud/nød, undergang

Derived terms

• avgrunnsdjup
• på avgrunnens rand
• menneskesjelens avgrunnar

References

• “avgrunn” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “avgrunn” in The Bokmål Dictionary / The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• entry on "avgrunn" on Siterte sitater ("Quoted quotes")