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Synonyms

atrocious

American  
[uh-troh-shuhs] / əˈtroʊ ʃəs /

adjective

  1. extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal.

    an atrocious crime.
    Synonyms:
    devilish, diabolic, monstrous, heinous, felonious

  2. shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable.

    an atrocious painting; atrocious manners.
    Synonyms:
    detestable, execrable
atrocious British  
/ əˈtrəʊʃəs /

adjective

  1. extremely cruel or wicked; ruthless

    atrocious deeds

  2. horrifying or shocking

    an atrocious road accident

  3. informal very bad; detestable

    atrocious writing
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • atrociously adverb
  • atrociousness noun

Etymology

Origin of atrocious

First recorded in 1660–70; atroci(ty) + -ous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I don't understand how it can be so cheap, but here in the UK everything costs 10 times as much," Kelly says, calling the cost difference "atrocious".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Mark Joseph Stern: It sounds antiseptic, but it’s absolutely atrocious.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026

The search for a ninth person believed killed in a huge avalanche in the US state of California will stretch into the weekend, officials said Thursday, as atrocious weather hampered operations.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The defense’s atrocious cornerbacks don’t deserve most of the blame?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

At morning and evening worship, people drifted in and out, table manners were atrocious, one man took a walk into Haarlem every morning at 3:00 a.m.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.