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
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Money in circulation reflected the atrocious policy that plainly restrained production.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
The tendon pain is all gone, but the grip strength on my fretting hand is atrocious, and a lot of the nerve sensation hasn’t come back.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 18 June 2025
The management of the crime scene was atrocious and the amateur nature of the collection of evidence was very harmful to the prosecution.
—Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Adjective
Roger Agness Orlando Camp Mystic cartoon was inappropriate The Sentinel’s obvious left bias is atrocious.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Money in circulation reflected the atrocious policy that plainly restrained production.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
The tendon pain is all gone, but the grip strength on my fretting hand is atrocious, and a lot of the nerve sensation hasn’t come back.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 18 June 2025
The management of the crime scene was atrocious and the amateur nature of the collection of evidence was very harmful to the prosecution.
—Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
-
The Yogurt Shop Murders is based on a true story of a horrific crime back in 1991, one that many people may not have heard of.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The situation for the hostages is absolutely horrific as well.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The sandwich, featuring ground meat—generally beef—suspended in a thick, sweet tomatoey sauce, has become an avatar of the horrible school lunch, a cliché that tends to go along with hairnets, greasy aprons, and other elements of canteen grotesquerie.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The stories have overflowed with a horrible, glorious narrative abundance.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
A day after a brutal collision with the railing near the camera well — and a camera — Freddy Fermin is back behind the plate and batting ninth in a lineup identical to Friday’s.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The course is a brutal, out-and-back journey of 100 miles through Colorado’s rugged high country, demanding over 15,000 feet of climbing.—
Jenn Nelson,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The driver was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of DUI and two counts of willful cruelty to a child.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Norwalk police on April 22 arrested her on one count of animal cruelty, records show.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The gruesome deaths of the two beloved teens shook and forever changed the small Indiana community.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
1 Aug. 2025
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The list includes redshirt junior nose tackle Jamari Lyons, back from a gruesome ankle injury, athletic 6-foot-2 ½, 244-pound sophomore linebacker Aaron Chiles and redshirt cornerback Cormani McClain.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That is a particularly egregious example of how the Trump Administration has been gratuitously cruel to the Sudanese.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
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Stacy, Tim’s wife, also died of pancreatic cancer five months later in February of 2024, a cruel hand for a family that for years had gone above and beyond in their efforts to raise money and awareness for cancer research.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The horror film Weapons grants viewers some relief—but with a catch.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Timing is everything in comedy, and a new Scary Movie couldn’t arrive at a better time in theaters when horror movies have hit saturation this year.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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