1
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
an atrocious crime that shocked even hardened members of the police force
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in horrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the picture quality on the pirated DVD was atrocious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
the atrocious treatment of prisoners at the camps
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocious
This erasure, the novel seems to imply, is part of what allows Agu to perform atrocious acts of violence and murder.
—
Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Their bullpen had an atrocious 5.16 ERA over the span going into Monday.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Further accessorizing a polyester leisure suit ensemble would likely be a screamingly loud, atrocious acetate shirt.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025
After two mediocre 2000s film featuring Marvel’s legendary superhero family, and an atrocious third outing in 2015, the foursome makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a combo sci-fi/disaster flick full of retrofuturistic 1960s flavor.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Their bullpen had an atrocious 5.16 ERA over the span going into Monday.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Further accessorizing a polyester leisure suit ensemble would likely be a screamingly loud, atrocious acetate shirt.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025
After two mediocre 2000s film featuring Marvel’s legendary superhero family, and an atrocious third outing in 2015, the foursome makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a combo sci-fi/disaster flick full of retrofuturistic 1960s flavor.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
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Right-wing politicians have long used horrific crime stories – particularly those featuring Black suspects and White victims – to make broader criticisms of Democrats as soft on crime.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The surveillance footage of the horrific attack was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) over the weekend, FOX News reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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The trailer also showcases several brutal fights, an over-flowing oil emergency at the patch, a car accident, and Cami paying witness to two men taking down a third individual with their guns drawn.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
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At the time, and in the next nearly two years, the Kansas City region also experienced the gruesome abuse and neglect deaths of three children ages 4 to 6, including one boy who fell from a 17th floor apartment window in November 2023.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because of the cruel math of throughput and utilization, over ten days, only three hundred people experienced Blur.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Tamra was awful to Gretchen back then, culminating in the Naked Wasted Party, which was one of the cruelest things to ever happen on Housewives.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Chicago Bears suffered a shocking Week 1 loss, blowing a 17-6 fourth quarter lead at home against the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Iryna was killed while sitting peacefully, an innocent life taken in a shocking and brutal way.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But one other thing Reclaim does is show just how awful the Portal system is.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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How the Dolphins grow from such an awful performance will be paramount.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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