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 horrible
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
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Recent Examples of atrocious
There’s the 1-for-28 spiral Volpe is currently in, and then there’s his atrocious .121/.171/.242 slash line over the past 20 games.
—
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The rare exception to this, in recent memory, is The Wheel Of Time, which got better each season and came out with a pretty great Season 3, whereupon Amazon cancelled it to keep the atrocious Rings Of Power alive.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
This erasure, the novel seems to imply, is part of what allows Agu to perform atrocious acts of violence and murder.
—Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
After two mediocre 2000s film featuring Marvel’s legendary superhero family, and an atrocious third outing in 2015, the foursome makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a combo sci-fi/disaster flick full of retrofuturistic 1960s flavor.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The rare exception to this, in recent memory, is The Wheel Of Time, which got better each season and came out with a pretty great Season 3, whereupon Amazon cancelled it to keep the atrocious Rings Of Power alive.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
This erasure, the novel seems to imply, is part of what allows Agu to perform atrocious acts of violence and murder.
—Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
After two mediocre 2000s film featuring Marvel’s legendary superhero family, and an atrocious third outing in 2015, the foursome makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a combo sci-fi/disaster flick full of retrofuturistic 1960s flavor.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
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There are many moments in the trailer that showcase some horrific imagery, such as Nina screaming and crying, and what appears to be the character also holding a bloody shard of glass.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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As users sought information about Kirk’s condition, the bot, Grok, declared to some of them that the horrific footage was satire.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Can a horrible 17-year-old turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Can a 17-year-old horrible person turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Given the Normans’ brutal treatment of the English and their subsequent expansion across the Mediterranean, there are undeniable parallels between 1066 and later spasms of European expansionism.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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The eight-episode thriller, which premieres September 19 on ViX, follows Nolasco Black (Bichir), a forensic dentist investigating brutal murders in 19th century Veracruz who discovers evidence that the infamous London killer has crossed the Atlantic.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand, both then and now, ubiquitous access to gruesome and horrifying imagery can have a corrosive social and cultural effect.—
Time,
Time,
20 Sep. 2025
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Gein's gruesome crimes have also inspired films, including Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Both films were saddled with terrible reviews and disappointing audience scores.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
21 Sep. 2025
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The thought of being separated from my third daughter, my work—too terrible for words.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sena was crying in pain, and so were her new owners, who even questioned whether keeping her alive was cruel.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Directed by Oliver Laxe, who’s been making waves at Cannes for years, the movie is funny and warm in parts, cruel and cold in others.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The premiere also came with the shocking announcement of a double elimination next week.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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The speed at which Kirk’s death became content was almost as shocking as the assassination itself.—
Marly Berlin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Tom’s appointees on the task force include Lizzie (Alison Oliver), a state police officer who’s regularly tormented by her fellow cops, and Aleah (Thuso Mbedu), who wins over a suspect in interrogation by sharing awful details of her past.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
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His college tape from Iowa showed a kid with excellent movement skills, perfect for the Niners’ offense, but with awful footwork in pass protection.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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