hadal

adjective

ha·​dal ˈhā-dᵊl How to pronounce hadal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the parts of the ocean below 6000 meters (about 20,000 feet)

Examples of hadal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The creatures live 5,800 to 9,500 meters (19,000 to 30,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface in what’s called the hadal zone. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025 Studies suggest hadal zones can bury up to 70 times more carbon per square meter than the average seafloor. — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 What to Know About the Project The three-year research initiative will focus on deep-sea areas in the Pacific Ocean, including parts of the hadal zone, which extends to depths of 36,000 feet and accounts for 45 percent of the ocean. — Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025 Arwen becomes fascinated by the world beneath the ocean’s surface, where there are undersea mountain ranges that can be higher than the Rockies, and by the water’s layered zones, including the deepest, the hadal—or hadopelagic—zone, which gives the story its title. — Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for hadal

Word History

Etymology

French, from Hadès Hades

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hadal was in 1959

Rhymes for hadal

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Browse Nearby Words

had a good innings
hadal
hadarim
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hadal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hadal. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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