1
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
an atrocious crime that shocked even hardened members of the police force
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
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
How many times will ABC's leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
The State Police and DA Ryan’s office covered up this atrocious crime for 25 months — until February of this year.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
The State Police and DA Ryan’s office covered up this atrocious crime for 25 months — until February of this year.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
-
In 1984, following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of India's prime minister by her Sikh bodyguard triggered horrific mob violence that killed thousands of Sikhs across the country, pushing many more to flee.—
Akash Pamarthy,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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In this true crime documentary, Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and her team examine the timeline leading up to the horrific incident, offering a different explanation behind one of New York's worst motor vehicle accidents.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Historically, South America has proven irresistible to certain inhabitants of the northern hemisphere eager to escape the consequences of their terrible actions.—
David Futrelle,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
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In retrospect, the Supreme Court decision that opened the widespread legalization of sports betting was a terrible, terrible mistake.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Bichette is off to a brutal start, Francisco Lindor’s spring hamate injury may have affected his power even before his calf strain knocked him out for the last month, and Jorge Polanco has barely been on the field.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Hounded by a loud, impatient Eisenhower and faced with the very real evidence that a brutal trio of storms will make an early June invasion impossible, Stagg is torn between doing his duty and, well, doing his duty.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
-
The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The immigrant-detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Florida Everglades, stands out as a uniquely cruel publicity stunt with an absurdly high price tag, in which much of the money goes into just a few pockets.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Where the movie’s true eccentricity comes in is in its combination of breezy comedy with shocking brutality and gore, perhaps most exemplified in an oddly casual moment in a morgue where Seagal and Wayans find a clue in the form of a serial number on a dead woman’s breast implant.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
5 June 2026
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Crayton said that the decision to allow Alabama to ignore the lower court’s ruling was shocking.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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That’s an awful lot of people living with life-changing consequences.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
3 June 2026
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But for a restaurant that serves plenty of dishes seemingly designed for white tablecloths, there’s still an awful lot of eating done with your hands.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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