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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocious
If this were the NFL, we’d be done, even in the atrocious era of 17 regular-season games!
—
Law Murray, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Back then, the Android software interface on its older smartphones had tons of bloatware, an atrocious design, and obfuscated settings.
—Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2025
To be fair, Towns hasn’t been atrocious guarding the screener this season.
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
More than 1% of the national population is now imprisoned — including children — and conditions are often atrocious, human rights activists say, adding he’s suspended civil rights and conducted massive dragnets that sweep up criminal and innocent alike.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Law Murray, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Back then, the Android software interface on its older smartphones had tons of bloatware, an atrocious design, and obfuscated settings.
—Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2025
To be fair, Towns hasn’t been atrocious guarding the screener this season.
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
More than 1% of the national population is now imprisoned — including children — and conditions are often atrocious, human rights activists say, adding he’s suspended civil rights and conducted massive dragnets that sweep up criminal and innocent alike.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocious
Adjective
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Now The horrific atrocities experienced by children in Sudan will leave life-long scars - if the children are lucky enough to survive the hostilities, famine, diseases, and other risks.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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But now the Trump administration’s lack of empathy threatens other children and families facing such horrific diagnoses.—
Dayna Copeland,
The Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And often times that can yield lead to some brutal consequences.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Even without snow, the drop in temperature alone can be brutal.—
Elizabeth Medeiros,
Health,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The 6-foot-3 senior suffered a gruesome injury in Green Mountain’s 3A quarterfinal win over Severance on Nov. 22.—
Matt Schubert,
The Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2025
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Who was Charles Manson? Manson was a cult leader in the late 1960s known for orchestrating gruesome murders in Los Angeles.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The boys now harbor a terrible secret of their own.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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But the point is, every team has a few terrible losses in the course of a season.—
Josh Yohe,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Sins Of The Brother Of course, the most shocking moment in this episode is something that’s been setup from the very first episode.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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The game was all but a formality — anything less than an Elite Eight run would be downright shocking.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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To have hate at such a young age for another student is awful.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2025
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But against lefties, while hitting from the righty batter's box, Cabrera has been downright awful, with a .562 OPS and anemic .209 batting average in 187 career plate appearances.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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