atrocity

1 the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay the undeniable atrocity of the forced march of Cherokees known as the Trail of Tears Synonyms atrociousness, horror, awfulness, dreadfulness, frightfulness, ghastliness, grisliness, gruesomeness, hideousness, horridness, monstrosity, repulsivenessRelated Words badness, baseness, depravedness, depravity, diabolicalness, evil, evilness, foulness, heinousness, immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, invidiousness, sinfulness, ungodliness, viciousness, vileness, wickedness; accursedness, cursedness, deplorableness, despicableness, detestableness, execrableness, hatefulness, loathsomeness, reprehensibleness; creepiness, eeriness, fearfulness, fearsomeness, ghostliness, ghoulishness, scariness; agony, anguish, hellishness, misery, torment, tortureNear Antonyms agreeableness, delightfulness, pleasantness, pleasurableness; allurement, appeal, attraction, attractiveness, desirability, desirableness

2 the state or quality of being utterly evil was appalled by the atrocity of Stalin's mass executions Synonyms atrociousness, enormity, badness, depravedness, depravity, diabolicalness, evilness, heinousness, hideousness, monstrosity, sinfulness, vileness, wickednessRelated Words accursedness, baseness, cursedness, devilishness, execrableness, fiendishness, hellishness; corruption, decadence, degeneracy, pervertedness; immorality; infamy, notorietyNear Antonyms morality; chasteness, innocence, purityAntonyms goodness, righteousness, virtuousness

3 disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others wars often unleash a level of atrocity that would be unimaginable in peacetime Synonyms atrociousness, cruelty, barbarity, barbarousness, brutality, cruelness, fiendishness, heartlessness, inhumanity, inhumanness, sadism, savageness, savagery, truculence, viciousness, wantonnessRelated Words hard-heartedness, mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, unfeelingness; fellness, ferociousness, ferocity, fierceness, grimness; bloodlust, bloodthirstiness, murderousness, sanguineness, sanguinity; cattiness, despitefulness, hatefulness, malevolence, maliciousness, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spitefulness; hardhandedness, harshness, heavy-handedness, oppressivenessNear Antonyms tenderness, warmheartedness, warmness, warmth; charitableness, clemency, leniency, mercifulness, mercy, pityAntonyms benignity, compassion, good-heartedness, humaneness, humanity, kindheartedness, kindness, sympathy, tenderheartedness