atrocious

adjective

ə-ˈtrō-shəs How to pronounce atrocious (audio)
Definition of atrociousnext
1
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent an atrocious crime that shocked even hardened members of the police force

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory the picture quality on the pirated DVD was atrocious

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others the atrocious treatment of prisoners at the camps

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of atrocious The trailers looked awful, with a predictably sloppy anti-hero feel, atrocious visual effects, and an uninteresting plot and villain. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 The heat was punishing, the aesthetic was strictly corporate and the soccer itself was deeply atrocious. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 June 2026 Then again, perhaps this guest was anticipating her hosts’ atrocious behavior. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026 Japan didn’t surrender after the equally atrocious firebombing of Tokyo. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
  1. horrific
  2. terrible
  3. brutal
  4. gruesome
  5. horrible
  6. cruel
  7. shocking
  8. awful
Adjective
  • My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident.
    — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In late August, a horrific but fortunately injury-free blaze at the Folsom Flea Market wreaked havoc on a number of small local businesses operating out of the space.
    — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.
    — Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Thirty-two years after Brown Simpson's brutal killing, her sister continues to alert people to the dangers of intimate partner violence.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Trojans face Washington at the Coliseum before a brutal stretch that includes Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State, with their playoff hopes at stake.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Against the backdrop of a gruesome day, the Hebrew-language movie unfolds individual emotions and lives both before and during the attack, everyday problems of course not stopping with the tragedy, just interacting with it.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For centuries, this scene has been believed to show Harold’s gruesome end.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • The policy of sending them to a third country has been condemned as harsh and cruel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Eight men were killed via gassing until an Alabama district judge ruled the execution method unconstitutionally cruel, in June; the Supreme Court has maintained the block.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Her inciting incident is eventually bookended in equally shocking fashion.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … -- POLITICS LIFE OR DEATH — Conservative group unveils campaign in key state to expose ‘shocking’ Dem platform.
    — , FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • He was held back by something else, a feeling that some awful truth about his familiar, beloved world was now being revealed to him.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • His death was already sudden and awful, and the call was jarring and unexpected.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful

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atrium
atrocious
atrociously
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Cite this Entry

“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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