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 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
His murders might be long in the past, but as the episode depicts, his atrocious acts appeared to inspire other serial killers, both real and fictional.
—
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
On Saturday, in atrocious Ruhr Valley conditions, Schalke and Dortmund’s academies contested an under-17 derby.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The team's offense has been absolutely atrocious to start 2025.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The Patriots’ pass coverage without Christian Gonzalez, their atrocious inside linebacker play and roller-coaster special teams, which give any adoring fan a heart attack at a moment’s notice.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
On Saturday, in atrocious Ruhr Valley conditions, Schalke and Dortmund’s academies contested an under-17 derby.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The team's offense has been absolutely atrocious to start 2025.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The Patriots’ pass coverage without Christian Gonzalez, their atrocious inside linebacker play and roller-coaster special teams, which give any adoring fan a heart attack at a moment’s notice.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
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However, watching the slow and steady movement of a horrific storm on a collision course with my beloved land over the last several days was agonizing.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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According to police, the horrific incident began when the child’s mother, who was out of town on Friday, asked her father to check on her daughter as she was being cared for by the nanny.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Here's everything to know about the late female killer and her brutal crimes.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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The grisly events in El Fasher come over two and a half years into a brutal civil war that has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Halloween was significantly more graphic than many of its predecessors, and Zombie said the gruesome violence was a deliberate choice and that it wasn’t supposed to be easy viewing.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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The five-minute mash-up rapidly intercuts scenes of happy domesticity (a loving mother, kids in face paint eating popcorn in front of the tube, teens affectionately goofing around) with gruesome murders committed by a beautiful little boy.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There have always been fascist forces, there have always been people who are just terrible in the American government, but at the same time, there are always people who have resisted, and there are always people who have still found ways to create joy, to create life, to create art, despite these.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Marchand’s terrible week ended with joy.—
Adam H. Beasley,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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There is no reason to be cruel to people.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, the final moments of season 5 also saw the shocking death of Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) — or a convincing doppelgänger — outside the Arconia, teasing the mystery Mabel, Charles and Oliver.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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But the real draw here is Cut's elaborate torture device, which uses piano wire in inventive and shocking ways.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hurricane Melissa’s devastation is the awful alchemy created by the unique combination of unstoppable gusts, seawater that is forced inland and deluge that pours out of the sky, all interacting with the landscape and human lives the storm found in its path.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
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These limits exist because of the history of the government’s awful record with race.—
Andrew Quinio,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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