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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
This office will zealously pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law to protect our vulnerable adults and their families from such an atrocity.
—
Christina Hall, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The syntax of atrocity is hidden beneath a series of nationalist proclamations.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Anyone who serves the Israeli enemy and its schemes, aids its crimes, and seeks to enable it to commit atrocities against our people cannot be supported—except by a traitor, a traitor like him, trying to pave the way for it.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
For some viewers, the parallels between that story and current atrocities — and denials — could not be clearer.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Christina Hall, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The syntax of atrocity is hidden beneath a series of nationalist proclamations.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Anyone who serves the Israeli enemy and its schemes, aids its crimes, and seeks to enable it to commit atrocities against our people cannot be supported—except by a traitor, a traitor like him, trying to pave the way for it.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
For some viewers, the parallels between that story and current atrocities — and denials — could not be clearer.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Hateful Eight and also headlined the horror-Western Bone Tomahawk, which featured Fox in a supporting role.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Such rhetoric has fostered a climate where cruelty is normalized.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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His anguished mother insisted on an open-casket ceremony to show the world the gruesome cruelty of lynching.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The brutality of the Ukrainian frontline The challenges facing foreign volunteer fighters on the battlefield extend well beyond their legal label.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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For a long time, the book was consider unadaptable due to its brutality.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
5 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
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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