atrocious
Americanadjective
-
extremely cruel or wicked; ruthless
atrocious deeds
-
horrifying or shocking
an atrocious road accident
-
informal very bad; detestable
atrocious writing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of atrocious
First recorded in 1660–70; atroci(ty) + -ous
Explanation
Atrocious is a great word, but there's nothing good about its meaning or its synonyms: horrible, ugly, abominable, dreadful, unspeakable, and monstrous, to name just a few. The adjective atrocious is descended from the Latin atrox, which means "fierce" and "cruel." We hear this word all the time when something provokes horror (like a massive earthquake), when something is exceptionally bad or displeasing (like the worst movie we've ever seen, and the worse acting), or when we see something shockingly brutal or cruel (like an act of terrorism).
Vocabulary lists containing atrocious
Esperanza Rising
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Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
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"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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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.
"It ranges from atrocious to completely useless," said Alan Heseldine, who runs a seafood kiosk on the pier.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
She describes the atrocious majority-black, high-poverty elementary and middle schools she chose for the girl, Najya, which left her unprepared for high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Her viral “SNL” sketch “Haircut” — in which Padilla goes to dinner with friends, disturbing them with her atrocious haircut — was created at Groundlings, where it killed.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
"I'm working in the kitchen, so it's atrocious," she added.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
A most sacred obligation was bound up with a most atrocious crime.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
