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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Mantell, Felker-Martin tells me, was a Polish resistance photographer who was captured by Nazi soldiers while documenting their atrocities and imprisoned in Auschwitz for a year.
—
Samantha Riedel, Them., 29 Oct. 2025
But the militia group has committed atrocities in the region this year already.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
He was joined by Ali Abbas and Ali Ayyoub, two former ministers of defense facing sanctions for human rights violations and atrocities carried out during the conflict.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In times of mass atrocity, processing personal sorrow becomes more complicated.
—Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Samantha Riedel, Them., 29 Oct. 2025
But the militia group has committed atrocities in the region this year already.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
He was joined by Ali Abbas and Ali Ayyoub, two former ministers of defense facing sanctions for human rights violations and atrocities carried out during the conflict.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In times of mass atrocity, processing personal sorrow becomes more complicated.
—Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Leone's horror anthology features a wraparound story about a babysitter, Sarah (Katie Maguire), and her two adolescent charges, Timmy and Tia, who find an unmarked VHS in their trick-or-treat bag.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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From Jason Voorhees terrorizing all visitors of Camp Crystal Lake to Michael Myers persistently haunting the inhabitants of Haddonfield, Illinois, horror movies have relied on the silence and mystique of their main antagonists for decades.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Being tied to the mast of a regime defined by cruelty and graft is a problem of another magnitude entirely.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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After shifting power to the people—like a year-plus bus boycott can do, for example—and getting the government to lessen its corruption, cruelty, injustice or violence, defending those gains is a must.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Leone’s creation has gained a substantial cult following thanks to its throwback grindhouse aesthetics, nauseating practical effects, and unapologetic brutality.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Despite a complete media and communications blackout, making specifics hard to determine, videos trickled out of El Fasher showing the brutality being unleashed on the civilian population.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The real-life 2005 story involving a Canadian couple who inspired this film is horrifying, and the movie does a great job of capturing the awfulness of being mauled by a bear.—
Vanessa Maki,
Vulture,
8 Oct. 2025
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Up-market producer David Susskind railed for four hours about the awfulness of the boob tube.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
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 4 Nov. 2025.
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