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

Many of the Russian journalists working in Ukraine at the start of the war, where atrocities wage on, now have criminal cases against them. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026

To Lose Their Citizenship Abraham noted during a Q&A at NYFF that much of the film overlaps with previous reporting and that atrocities in Gaza have been documented for years. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026

Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal military during the previous war and were accused of atrocities against Tigrayan civilians. — Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

At the heart of this speculative novel is an unspeakable atrocity that serves as the premise of Kathy’s life. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 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