fathomless

[ fath-uhm-lis ]

adjective

1. impossible to measure the depth of; bottomless.
2. impossible to understand; incomprehensible:

   fathomless motives.

fathomless

/ ˈfæðəmlɪs /

adjective

1. another word for unfathomable

Derived Forms

• ˈfathomlessness, noun
• ˈfathomlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• fathom·less·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fathomless¹

First recorded in 1600–10; fathom + -less

Example Sentences

Otherwise I could be chased off this pitching deck and into the fathomless sea.

From Literature

To feel and smell the reality of 12.4 million square miles of frozen expanse, to place upon a scale the fathomless weight of that much ice pressed upon the earth, left me winded.

From Salon

I’ll pull out just one such gem, for it illustrates the timeliness of the author’s approach to the fathomless depths of his subject.

From Washington Post

But over the years, the song has revealed itself to contain fathomless depths that have only been audible in later interpretations.

From New York Times

Only the web of golden light glowed up from the fathomless depths, growing fainter and fainter until it was finally swallowed by the darkness.

From Literature

Related Words

• baffling
• impenetrable
• inconceivable
• mystifying
• opaque
• puzzling
• unfathomable
• unimaginable
• unintelligible