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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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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1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
George Orwell's novel 1984 captures the atrociousness of tyranny
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocious
Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Defensively, LaVine has been pretty good this year on the ball despite Chicago's overall defense being atrocious.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Of course, there will always be times when a company catches you by surprise and lists your name along with other underperforming employees in a cop-out to cover their atrocious layoffs.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The pricing for a Pro account is, frankly, atrocious.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Adjective
So much so that the Athletic doesn’t even bother with them and their overall coverage is atrocious.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Defensively, LaVine has been pretty good this year on the ball despite Chicago's overall defense being atrocious.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Of course, there will always be times when a company catches you by surprise and lists your name along with other underperforming employees in a cop-out to cover their atrocious layoffs.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The pricing for a Pro account is, frankly, atrocious.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
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This is what Qasem Hassan had feared from the start—that the horrific violence inflicted on Israelis on October 7th would be used to justify a war without limits, dehumanizing all Palestinians.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
That this horrific upheaval comes care of Lucy’s work is the real kicker.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2025
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Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Currently there are no comprehensive animal cruelty laws in China, which experts say has created a culture of impunity among cat torturers.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
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That's why the spectacular cruelty with which the cuts were carried out tanked Musk's personal brand and triggered Trump's inexorable decline in approval.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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But Trump and Epstein’s association has been out in the open for nearly a quarter century; nineties-era footage of the gruesome twosome together at Mar-a-Lago, leering at a group of young cheerleaders, has been circulating since at least 2019.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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Six decades later, Hamas would engage in a gruesome competition with Fatah to outdo one another with terrorist attacks during the 1990s and early 2000s.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Heavy truck traffic has also contributed to terrible pollution in California’s Central Valley.—
Francine Kiefer,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Phobias, a silent clown duo with a horror twist, brought eerie theatrics to the stage — complete with balloon popping and unsettling surprises — and successfully freaked out the judges (especially Howie Mandel).—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
4 June 2025
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Within moments of his arrival, the church became the site of an unspeakable horror — the beheading of several people in the congregation.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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