1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
George Orwell's novel 1984 captures the atrociousness of tyranny
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
the unspeakable atrociousness of the mass genocide that was perpetrated in that African nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
for sheer atrociousness the murders committed by Jack the Ripper occupy a special place in the annals of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrociousness
Noun
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But her private letters to her sister Cassandra show a sharper and more astringent person, someone whose cruelty and bitterness were redeemed only by her jokes.—
Lucy Worsley
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025 -
Justice came for Petal when her previous owner was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals on September 12, a press release from CGHS stated.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Netflix struck gold with Wednesday, the supernatural horror-comedy centered on the sardonically morbid teenage daughter of the Addams Family.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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But a heart-wrenching 2016 case report of a boy in Oregon detailed the horrors of what the disease can look like.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Graphic videos of both atrocities spread quickly and widely online this week, appearing in people's social media feeds, often with little-to-no warning.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Critics have also pointed to the fact that Japanese educational syllabi have long glossed over wartime atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More Ethan Miller/Getty Images Their history is defined by brutality.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For a country still reckoning with the brutality of its dark past, the trial of several high ranking military officers in a civilian court is a singular achievement.—
Adriana Carranca,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Howard, now in his 70s, decided to make a film about the fundamental awfulness of other humans, delivering one of his darkest stories in the process.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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The awfulness of it scrapes my veins, turning everything orange and raw.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Atrociousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrociousness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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