1
as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the undeniable atrocity of the forced march of Cherokees known as the Trail of Tears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
was appalled by the atrocity of Stalin's mass executions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
wars often unleash a level of atrocity that would be unimaginable in peacetime
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Kono had placed great importance on promoting friendly ties with China, South Korea and other Asian countries that suffered Japanese atrocities before and during World War II.
—
Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
His statement led to Japan's broader apology over its wartime atrocities in a 1995 statement by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
In New York state social studies classes, communism and socialism are presented as two economic systems that make things more equal and fair, with no historical references to the atrocities committed by socialist and communist regimes confiscating property.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
For Holocaust Survivor Day, which is observed globally on June 4, nearly 130 survivors gathered with friends and neighbors at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City to celebrate their lives and important contributions in educating future generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
His statement led to Japan's broader apology over its wartime atrocities in a 1995 statement by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
In New York state social studies classes, communism and socialism are presented as two economic systems that make things more equal and fair, with no historical references to the atrocities committed by socialist and communist regimes confiscating property.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
For Holocaust Survivor Day, which is observed globally on June 4, nearly 130 survivors gathered with friends and neighbors at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City to celebrate their lives and important contributions in educating future generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Shelley’s famous Gothic horror novel was born out of those sessions.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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Mostly, the show is an eccentric yet seamless mix of black humor and horror, with Wyck trying to convince Loftis that the island’s curses are real.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Noun
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On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most importantly, Kaiser went on national radio and warned that democracy itself could not survive if America returned to the greed, monopoly and economic cruelty that had scarred the industrial age.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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O'Neill was charged with 19 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, two dog housing violations and one misdemeanor for violating bail conditions from his previous charges, according to DPH.—
Marcella Baietto,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
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In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
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The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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This lawless crew shares dramaturgical DNA with the vice figures from medieval morality plays, personifications of sinfulness who would confide their schemes to the audience and make theatergoers their co-conspirators in a riveting game that obviously left its mark on a young Shakespeare.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For a president who frequently threatens his opponents with violence, that brutality is surely part of the allure.—
Bhumika Tharoor,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
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In the years since, Corado’s name has become a rallying cry for the local movement against police brutality.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
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That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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