fathomless
Americanadjective
-
impossible to measure the depth of; bottomless.
-
impossible to understand; incomprehensible.
fathomless motives.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- fathomlessly adverb
- fathomlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of fathomless
Explanation
Something fathomless is so deep or great that you can’t measure it, or so mysterious that nobody can understand it. If you were an ant, you’d probably think the kitchen sink was fathomless — and also the whole business of washing dishes! Fathomless means about the same as the more common word unfathomable. You might choose fathomless in a poem, or in any piece of writing where you want to sound a little more elegant or literary — or use three syllables instead of five! In your reading you might come across expressions like "fathomless oceans" or "the fathomless universe." Figuratively, knowledge, love, evil, and wealth are often described as fathomless.
Vocabulary lists containing fathomless
Wolf Brother
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Suffix -ness, Part 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scene by scene, Ms. Alexander deftly conveys the mounting burden of Carol’s exhaustion and fathomless sadness in the face of this.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
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 • May 29, 2023
The end of the shipping container is open, and I stare into that fathomless black square, listening.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2023
Whereas our affection for dogs is overly sentimental, resulting in a fathomless ocean of slobbery drool.
From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2021
In the gloom he saw that the hole was narrow -he could touch its sides with his outstretched hands – but fathomless.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
