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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
This is despite the Russian military’s atrocities committed against Ukrainian military forces and civilians in the war Russia began in 2022, and Russia’s intensifying hybrid war against Europeans in the form of covert spy attacks across Europe.
—
John Deni, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
In 2012, 34 striking workers at a South African platinum mine were fatally shot by security forces in a massacre that ignited outrage across the country and invited comparisons to the atrocities of the apartheid era.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Pakistan, which has a history of providing clandestine support to the Taliban, has blamed the latter for providing a safe haven to terrorists who commit atrocities on Pakistani soil.
—Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
But fighting had broken out across Sudan, and reports of atrocities were filtering in from the countryside: mass rapes, mass executions, torture.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
John Deni, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
In 2012, 34 striking workers at a South African platinum mine were fatally shot by security forces in a massacre that ignited outrage across the country and invited comparisons to the atrocities of the apartheid era.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Pakistan, which has a history of providing clandestine support to the Taliban, has blamed the latter for providing a safe haven to terrorists who commit atrocities on Pakistani soil.
—Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
But fighting had broken out across Sudan, and reports of atrocities were filtering in from the countryside: mass rapes, mass executions, torture.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Phobias, a silent clown duo with a horror twist, brought eerie theatrics to the stage — complete with balloon popping and unsettling surprises — and successfully freaked out the judges (especially Howie Mandel).—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
4 June 2025
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The project marks the Indian star’s first horror entertainer, a departure from his typical action fare.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 June 2025
Noun
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That's why the spectacular cruelty with which the cuts were carried out tanked Musk's personal brand and triggered Trump's inexorable decline in approval.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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Currently there are no comprehensive animal cruelty laws in China, which experts say has created a culture of impunity among cat torturers.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Noun
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But the picture’s cartoonish brutality is cathartic.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
6 June 2025
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Failing to silence his work through restrictions and brutality, the Iranian regime appears to have been resigned to simply ignoring Panahi.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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