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atrocious
[ uh-troh-shuhs ]
/ əˈtroʊ ʃəs /
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adjective
extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal: an atrocious crime.
shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable: an atrocious painting; atrocious manners.
OTHER WORDS FOR atrocious
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Origin of atrocious
First recorded in 1660–70; atroci(ty) + -ous
OTHER WORDS FROM atrocious
a·tro·cious·ly, adverba·tro·cious·ness, nounWords nearby atrocious
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use atrocious in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for atrocious
atrocious
/ (əˈtrəʊʃəs) /
adjective
extremely cruel or wicked; ruthlessatrocious deeds
horrifying or shockingan atrocious road accident
informal very bad; detestableatrocious writing
Derived forms of atrocious
atrociously, adverbatrociousness, nounWord Origin for atrocious
C17: from Latin ātrōx dreadful, from āter black
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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