Synonyms of atrocity

atrocity

noun

ə-ˈträ-sə-tē 

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

• horror
• dreadfulness
• awfulness
• frightfulness
• gruesomeness
• ghastliness
• hideousness
• repulsiveness
• horridness
• atrociousness
• fearfulness
• agony
• grisliness
• torture
• badness
• evil
• sinfulness
• monstrosity
• heinousness
• anguish
• misery
• vileness
• wickedness
• baseness
• viciousness
• immorality
• evilness
• depravity
• invidiousness
• foulness
• hatefulness
• loathsomeness
• iniquity
• ungodliness
• ghoulishness
• torment
• scariness
• ghostliness
• eeriness
• creepiness
• fearsomeness
• hellishness
• depravedness
• diabolicalness
• iniquitousness
• despicableness
• execrableness
• accursedness
• cursedness
• deplorableness
• detestableness
• reprehensibleness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleasantness
• agreeableness
• appeal
• attraction
• desirability
• delightfulness
• pleasurableness
• attractiveness
• allurement
• desirableness

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

• badness
• sinfulness
• evilness
• vileness
• heinousness
• corruption
• wickedness
• hideousness
• enormity
• depravity
• atrociousness
• notoriety
• monstrosity
• depravedness
• diabolicalness
• baseness
• fiendishness
• immorality
• decadence
• devilishness
• degeneracy
• hellishness
• infamy
• execrableness
• accursedness
• cursedness
• pervertedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• goodness
• righteousness
• morality
• purity
• virtuousness
• innocence
• chasteness

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

• cruelty
• brutality
• barbarity
• savagery
• inhumanity
• savageness
• sadism
• murderousness
• heartlessness
• fiendishness
• cruelness
• viciousness
• barbarousness
• inhumanness
• atrociousness
• wantonness
• truculence
• ruthlessness
• mercilessness
• ferocity
• pitilessness
• oppressiveness
• grimness
• meanness
• malevolence
• bloodthirstiness
• ferociousness
• unfeelingness
• fierceness
• bloodlust
• spitefulness
• hatefulness
• maliciousness
• malignity
• hard-heartedness
• sanguinity
• fellness
• harshness
• sanguineness
• despitefulness
• nastiness
• heavy-handedness
• cattiness
• hardhandedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathy
• humanity
• compassion
• kindness
• humaneness
• benignity
• tenderness
• warmth
• pity
• tenderheartedness
• warmness
• kindheartedness
• mercy
• good-heartedness
• leniency
• clemency
• warmheartedness
• charitableness
• mercifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of atrocity

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack an atrocity with no military purpose. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Satellite data later showed that houses in the predominantly Rohingya neighborhood were burned down by the Myanmar military during the atrocity, providing undeniable proof that the ethnic minority was targeted. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Yes, the atrocities occurred before social media took hold, before video streaming, before camera phones became commonplace. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

There was no hiding from the atrocity of a 3-14 season that left large swaths of the Jets fan base already calling for Glenn’s head. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026