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
In the meantime, Democrats are jabbing back at GOP claims over the New Orleans atrocity.
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Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025
Assad ruled through torture, fear, and violence, crushing dissent while unleashing atrocities against his own people.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Troops under the command of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov were embroiled in the war from the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with its forces implicated in many atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Most novels of World War II confront the horrors of that time head-on, as if to do less would dishonor the magnitude of the atrocity.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atrocity 
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025
Assad ruled through torture, fear, and violence, crushing dissent while unleashing atrocities against his own people.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Troops under the command of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov were embroiled in the war from the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with its forces implicated in many atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Most novels of World War II confront the horrors of that time head-on, as if to do less would dishonor the magnitude of the atrocity.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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The series, which stars Kaitlyn Dever, is slick and stylized, and illuminates the depravity of its scammer story as well as the horrors young women face in the health care system.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
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Overwhelmed by the horrors of war, Frankie experiences the bonds and betrayals of combat.Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Blood is seen pouring out of skinned animals, the near-constant cruelty of the state’s differing climates is apparent and the ruthless, murderous human beings driven by capitalism and colonialism are lethal.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
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Meagan Ann Dixon, 44, is charged with murder, child endangerment and multiple counts of cruelty to animals in connection to the slayings, Sutter County Superior Court records show.Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The limited 6-part series was written by the same screenwriter who penned The Revenant, and the show very much follows that film’s style and overall sense of brutality and bleakness.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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And the plotting didn’t take place in strange, distant areas: Among those charged with acts of brutality or acting as conspirators in the insurrection were residents of Ormond Beach, Titusville, Kissimmee and other familiar, nearby cities.Orlando Sentinel and New York Daily News Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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