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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Hearing the atrocities that occurred on these grounds gave me a much deeper understanding of both the landscape and the people who lived there years ago.
—
Robert Annis, Outside Online, 3 July 2025
The overall budget is a $321-billion atrocity that’s a whopping 60% higher than the budget seven years ago.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 2 July 2025
While Israel has every right to defend itself and respond to the atrocities of Oct. 7th, nothing can justify the horrors currently committed in Gaza.
—Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, Time, 7 July 2025
Some three decades after the genocide in Srebrenica, there are several early warning signs and risk factors indicating the serious risk of atrocity crimes in the region.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Robert Annis, Outside Online, 3 July 2025
The overall budget is a $321-billion atrocity that’s a whopping 60% higher than the budget seven years ago.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 2 July 2025
While Israel has every right to defend itself and respond to the atrocities of Oct. 7th, nothing can justify the horrors currently committed in Gaza.
—Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, Time, 7 July 2025
Some three decades after the genocide in Srebrenica, there are several early warning signs and risk factors indicating the serious risk of atrocity crimes in the region.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
-
The legendary artist, whose first band's name was taken from a Mario Bava horror film starring Boris Karloff, will forever have a career shrouded in myth.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
22 July 2025
-
The pair, who tied the knot in 2017, play a dysfunctional codependent couple in horror film Together directed by Michael Shanks.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
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The new law adds to existing municipal ordinances that forbid animal cruelty or neglect, including leaving a pet in too small of a space or outside in the hot Florida sun.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
Miller faces four counts of cruelty to a companion animal and 34 counts of complicity.—
Aaron Valdez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
For Sarah, eros serves as a powerful conduit for the divine, but the divine is not without brutality nor chaos.—
Terry Nguyen
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
-
President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and their supporters are celebrating the brutality of the 3,000-bed detention facility that was hastily built in the Florida Everglades, one of the harshest natural environments in the United States.—
Time,
Time,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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