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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Nevertheless, the atrocities experienced by Chinese residents of the country remain little known.
—
Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
How could an empathetic person commit such atrocities?
—Ross Overline, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Kirchner had, a year earlier, backed sanctions for clergymen who publicly opposed the government’s human rights policies, including his decision to annul laws pardoning dictatorship-era atrocities.
—Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025
The remark seemed to downplay the atrocities of the Holocaust.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
How could an empathetic person commit such atrocities?
—Ross Overline, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Kirchner had, a year earlier, backed sanctions for clergymen who publicly opposed the government’s human rights policies, including his decision to annul laws pardoning dictatorship-era atrocities.
—Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025
The remark seemed to downplay the atrocities of the Holocaust.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Triggers Sudden Bitcoin Price ‘Crisis Scenario’ Fear 'Hell Of A Summer' Became A Journey Some Didn’t Expect Inspired by a blend of coming-of-age, horror, and comedy films, Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason Hochberg, played by Thelma and The White Lotus' Fred Hechinger.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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For the first half of the 10-episode debut season, the doctors grapple with the horrors the hurricane has wrought, all in one 24-hour shift.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Sullivan was arrested on March 12 and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Officers added at the time that she'd been arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Featuring works by renowned photojournalists and archival footage, the exhibit serves as a record of war crimes committed eight decades apart yet eerily similar in brutality.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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