1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
George Orwell's novel 1984 captures the atrociousness of tyranny
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
the unspeakable atrociousness of the mass genocide that was perpetrated in that African nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
for sheer atrociousness the murders committed by Jack the Ripper occupy a special place in the annals of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrociousness
Noun
-
He is also charged with third- and fourth-degree weapons charges related to possession of a golf club and knife, as well as animal cruelty related to the death of a family cat.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
25 Feb. 2025 -
Ex-College Soccer Player Accused of Killing Fellow Athlete Brother, Cat Using Knife, Golf Club: Prosecutors He was also charged with animal cruelty for allegedly killing a cat who lived in the apartment.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The video for the single captures the singer literally running away from the horrors hiding beneath the surface February 28, 2025 The new Lizzo era is here.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
-
People need to continue to show up to town halls and political events to express their dismay and horror at the prospect of Trump and Musk demolishing social safety nets and health, safety, and economic regulation.—
Leah Litman,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Intentionally or not, these gestures and statements normalize racial hatred, which is the prologue to the kind of racial violence that led to some of humanity’s worst atrocities.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
-
These are war crimes, and no amount of justification in the name of previous atrocities can change that reality.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Spanning from the 2014 Maidan Revolution to spring 2024, their story blends the glamour of drag with the brutality of war.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2025
-
In 2016, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality of Black men and, with Trump leading the discourse against him, never played in the league again.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC News,
7 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Atrociousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrociousness. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share