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
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2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
was appalled by the atrocity of Stalin's mass executions
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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
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Recent Examples of atrocity
How do men stand by in the community and not address this atrocity?
—
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
What if the atrocities amount to genocide?
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
While the Holocaust Museum highlights past atrocities, mass violence and persecution continue to unfold.
—Kelly Haramis, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
In other conflicts in the Middle East, dozens of such atrocities occurred in just a few hours of fighting.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
What if the atrocities amount to genocide?
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
While the Holocaust Museum highlights past atrocities, mass violence and persecution continue to unfold.
—Kelly Haramis, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
In other conflicts in the Middle East, dozens of such atrocities occurred in just a few hours of fighting.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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The latter being especially notable in one of the later levels, which is infested by body-horror-type monstrosities, as their screams are genuinely unnerving.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Director Tina Romero, the daughter of the father of zombie movies, George Romero, delivers a campy horror-comedy about what happens when an undead outbreak occurs at a drag club party in Brooklyn, as seen in Entertainment Weekly's exclusive trailer reveal.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But her private letters to her sister Cassandra show a sharper and more astringent person, someone whose cruelty and bitterness were redeemed only by her jokes.—
Lucy Worsley
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
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Justice came for Petal when her previous owner was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals on September 12, a press release from CGHS stated.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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He was also convicted in April of distributing steroids and altering records to try and cover it up, which carries twice as much potential prison time as plotting to commit police brutality.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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We’ve all been cast adrift in the cognitive dissonance between the visceral seriousness of the crime and the abject flippancy of the shooter, the brutality of the shooting and the memes reacting to Kirk’s bigoted views.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Howard, now in his 70s, decided to make a film about the fundamental awfulness of other humans, delivering one of his darkest stories in the process.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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The awfulness of it scrapes my veins, turning everything orange and raw.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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