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
On Monday, March 30, a jury convicted Judy Church, 67, of Salisbury, of first-degree murder with premeditation and extreme atrocity and cruelty in the November 2022 death of Leroy Fowler, 55, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Supporters of both sides have spread bogus images of atrocities or decisive victories that never happened.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The group has been fighting against the Sudanese military since April 2023 in a war that has pushed parts of the country into famine and is marked by widespread atrocities.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
That would be not only a shame, but an atrocity.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Supporters of both sides have spread bogus images of atrocities or decisive victories that never happened.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The group has been fighting against the Sudanese military since April 2023 in a war that has pushed parts of the country into famine and is marked by widespread atrocities.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
That would be not only a shame, but an atrocity.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
-
Barbie Ferreira delivers a gothic black look at the premiere of her new horror Faces of Death in Los Angeles on April 6.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Devastated by grief and horror beneath her armor, yet so valiant in public.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Nikolas Hart, 25, with six counts, including felony animal cruelty and misdemeanors related to allegations of domestic violence, witness tampering and disobeying a court order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
It will be used to invalidate our state laws and perpetuate a system of animal cruelty that predominantly serves the interests of factory farms.—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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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Yet, while Munro’s denial was a horrible violence, Fremlin’s deplorable acts were the original brutality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Nominations in the news, public service and radio/podcast categories span networks, from PBS to ABC and NBC News, with topics ranging from the Los Angeles wildfires to the war in Gaza, immigration and police brutality.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
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And to the abject awfulness of such robber barons as Misters Carnegie, Gould, and Frick.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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 12 Apr. 2026.
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