1
as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the undeniable atrocity of the forced march of Cherokees known as the Trail of Tears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
was appalled by the atrocity of Stalin's mass executions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
wars often unleash a level of atrocity that would be unimaginable in peacetime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
The government may not have hired Bobbi or urged Ghirotti to seek his petty revenge, but the men’s savagery is inseparable from that of a state sustained by atrocity.
—
Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
On one level, the Nazis here are stereotypical adventure story villains, yet specific actual Nazi atrocities are discussed and the suffering of French citizens is deeply felt.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Online hate speech and misinformation have been implicated in fueling atrocities in places like Myanmar, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.
—Arnaud Kurze, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
This is just a small, partial list of atrocities against Americans since the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
On one level, the Nazis here are stereotypical adventure story villains, yet specific actual Nazi atrocities are discussed and the suffering of French citizens is deeply felt.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Online hate speech and misinformation have been implicated in fueling atrocities in places like Myanmar, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.
—Arnaud Kurze, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
This is just a small, partial list of atrocities against Americans since the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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He wasn’t primarily associated with one genre the way Argento was with horror or Sergio Leone was with Westerns.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
24 Mar. 2026
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From the palace steps, Her Majesty watched with horror as the whirlwind of the helicopter's blades flattened her flowers and left divots on the lawn.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Federal authorities allege in an indictment that the images portrayed of dogs raised and offered for sale at the Giant German Shepherd Ranch in Hopkins County were a disguise for a place where, instead, cruelty and neglect were rampant.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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In July, 2014, at the height of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and world powers over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, my wife and I were arrested and thrown into Evin Prison, a notorious facility known throughout Iran for its cruelty.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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This lawless crew shares dramaturgical DNA with the vice figures from medieval morality plays, personifications of sinfulness who would confide their schemes to the audience and make theatergoers their co-conspirators in a riveting game that obviously left its mark on a young Shakespeare.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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During the May 2020 George Floyd demonstration, protesters in downtown Los Angeles briefly shut down portions of the 101 Freeway after entering near Alameda Street, temporarily halting traffic to draw attention to the killing of Floyd and broader concerns about police brutality.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Mihankhah spent roughly 15 years trying to raise awareness about the brutalities of the Iranian government.—
Alexandria Burris,
IndyStar,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps its incorporation of vogue ideas dazzles critics who might otherwise discern its awfulness (Amazon’s Transparent).—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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