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 social media users suggested Pearman may have missed the point of the somber experience of visiting a living memorial where one of history’s greatest atrocities occurred. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

The stakes are high, as Israeli officials campaign against Abraham and Szor’s citizenship status, and atrocity in Gaza wages on. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026

Others reject the celebration of Thanksgiving as a cover-up for colonial atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

The atrocities committed in Chile were similar to those in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Central America, where leftist movements and guerrillas were squashed with incredible brutality. — Literary Hub, 18 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