atrocity

noun

atroc·​i·​ty ə-ˈträ-sə-tē 

plural atrocities

1

: a shockingly bad or atrocious act, object, or situation

the atrocities of war

2

: the quality or state of being atrocious

… the paralysing atrocity of the thought which occupied her.

—Joseph Conrad

Synonyms of atrocity

• horror
• dreadfulness
• awfulness
• frightfulness

Examples of atrocity in a Sentence

Atrocities were committed by forces on both sides of the conflict.

Who could be capable of such atrocity?

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, the atrocities occurred before social media took hold, before video streaming, before camera phones became commonplace. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Jayhawkers were considered thieves, marauders & guerrillas (hence why yours were in jail) know for atrocities such as the Sacking of Osceola. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

The atrocities committed in March 2022 by Russian troops at Bucha, an outlying area of Kyiv, were intensely reported at the time, notably by the New York Times. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

There was no hiding from the atrocity of a 3-14 season that left large swaths of the Jets fan base already calling for Glenn’s head. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see atrocious

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for atrocity

• ferocity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• porosity
• precocity
• schistosity
• velocity
• verbosity
• viscosity
• animosity
• curiosity
• generosity

Kids Definition

atrocity

noun

atroc·​i·​ty ə-ˈträs-ət-ē 

plural atrocities

1

: the quality or state of being atrocious

2

: something that is atrocious