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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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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While the defense in front of him remained very much horrific in Buffalo, Jarry was not good.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Almost a decade in the making, and currently in post-production, the film will recount the harrowing story of the nine Charbonneau sisters and their childhood schoolmates who endured horrific abuse at St. Paul’s Indian Mission School in Marty, South Dakota.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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Watkins immediately received a flood of support on social media after the gruesome injury, as athletes and analysts from around the sports world chimed in with well wishes.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The behemoth abode sits on the infamous site of the gruesome 1969 Manson murders, though the original home was bulldozed in the ’90s.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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What's particularly cruel about that reality is that after years of dealing with questions about his weight, the former Duke Blue Devil star played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Here, Munir may be vaccinating chickens rather than grabbing them on their way to slaughter, but the work is just as thankless and cruel.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Leaders around the world have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking new tariffs that threaten to upend the global economy with stern words and denunciations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There are so many connections between all these awful people.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
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Failure to invest in protecting the vulnerable likely means the current awful trends will continue.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocious. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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