atrocious
adjective
atro·cious
ə-ˈtrō-shəs 
2
: appalling, horrifying
the atrocious weapons of modern war
an atrocious accident
3
a
: utterly revolting : abominable
atrocious working conditions
atrocious weather
b
: of very poor quality
atrocious handwriting
atrociously
adverb
atrociousness
noun
Examples of atrocious in a Sentence
… much of the manufactured-home industry employed sales practices that were atrocious. The need for meaningful down payments was frequently ignored. Sometimes fakery was involved. Moreover, impossible-to-meet monthly payments were being agreed to by borrowers who signed up because they had nothing to lose.
—
Warren E. Buffett, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009
In the hands of a succession of more or less sadistic colonial governors and prison officers, convicts, particularly repeat offenders, found themselves subjected to atrocious punishments, flogged, committed to chain gangs, kept in underground pits, starved, and bullied.
—Caroline Moorehead, New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2006
It would seem that by now the Tigers might be weary of analyzing their roller-coaster season, sick of reliving their atrocious 9-23 start and comparing it with their recent hot streak.
—Sports Illustrated, 4 Sept. 2000
an atrocious period in the nation's history
an atrocious crime that shocked even hardened members of the police force
Warren E. Buffett, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009
In the hands of a succession of more or less sadistic colonial governors and prison officers, convicts, particularly repeat offenders, found themselves subjected to atrocious punishments, flogged, committed to chain gangs, kept in underground pits, starved, and bullied.
—Caroline Moorehead, New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2006
It would seem that by now the Tigers might be weary of analyzing their roller-coaster season, sick of reliving their atrocious 9-23 start and comparing it with their recent hot streak.
—Sports Illustrated, 4 Sept. 2000
an atrocious period in the nation's history
an atrocious crime that shocked even hardened members of the police force
Recent Examples on the Web
The Vivienne sounds good but struggles with the choreo, and Crystal’s verse is atrocious, to put it gently.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 12 May 2025
Blame the atrocious shooting out of the gate, an avert-your-eyes 2-of-24 from the field in the first quarter.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
So much so that the Athletic doesn’t even bother with them and their overall coverage is atrocious.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Defensively, LaVine has been pretty good this year on the ball despite Chicago's overall defense being atrocious.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
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Barry Levitt, Vulture, 12 May 2025
Blame the atrocious shooting out of the gate, an avert-your-eyes 2-of-24 from the field in the first quarter.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
So much so that the Athletic doesn’t even bother with them and their overall coverage is atrocious.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Defensively, LaVine has been pretty good this year on the ball despite Chicago's overall defense being atrocious.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrocious. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atrocious
adjective
atro·cious
ə-ˈtrō-shəs
1
: savagely wicked, brutal, or cruel
2
: very bad
atrocious weather
atrociously
adverb
atrociousness
noun
Legal Definition
atrocious
adjective
atro·cious
ə-ˈtrō-shəs
: characterized by extreme cruelty or viciousness
atrocious assault and battery
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