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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Books Why Israel Fights Abe Greenwald Murray’s coverage of Hamas’s atrocities is extensive and intimate.
—
Daniel Foster, National Review, 15 May 2025
The affront that such a world posed to old racial attitudes in the South led to one of the great American atrocities.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The Nuremberg trials not only brought several architects of Nazi atrocities to justice, but also laid the foundations for modern global justice system and the International Criminal Court.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 May 2025
This registration policy echoes historical atrocities that enabled severe human rights violations.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Daniel Foster, National Review, 15 May 2025
The affront that such a world posed to old racial attitudes in the South led to one of the great American atrocities.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The Nuremberg trials not only brought several architects of Nazi atrocities to justice, but also laid the foundations for modern global justice system and the International Criminal Court.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 May 2025
This registration policy echoes historical atrocities that enabled severe human rights violations.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K. and Irish rights to horror film Eye for an Eye from HanWay Films, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
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In a classic horror premise (a school dance in the ’80s, no less), a killer is picking off Shadyside High’s prom-queen candidates one by one.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, May 20, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a press release that Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
21 May 2025
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Today, the Trump Administration’s theatre of cruelty toward immigrants can be traced to any number of root causes, including racist nostalgia, economic insecurity, and far-right Christian nationalism.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Trump’s allusions to police brutality – the very thing demonstrators were protesting – only seemed to rile them and underscore what was at stake.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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The jury has seen his brutality in the harrowing video at the InterContinental Hotel and photographs of her injuries.—
Elizabeth Geddes,
Rolling Stone,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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