atrocity

[uh-tros-i-tee]

See more synonyms for atrocity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural a·troc·i·ties.

the quality or state of being atrocious.
an atrocious act, thing, or circumstance.

Origin of atrocity

1525–35; < Latin atrōcitās, equivalent to atrōci- (stem of atrōx) fierce + -tās -ty²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for atrocity

Contemporary Examples

In this other video, 29-year-old Crawford is not committing an atrocity such as might be expected of ISIS.
ISIS Has a Bigger Coalition Than We Do
Michael Daly
October 15, 2014
Fueled by atrocity and a blitzkrieg of gains in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State has enjoyed a meteoric climb to notoriety.
Watching ISIS Come to Power Again
Elliot Ackerman
September 7, 2014
But thankfully, spurred in large part by social media, the world is finally addressing this atrocity.
Boko Loco: A View From Nigeria
Lola Ogunnaike
May 9, 2014
Suffice it to say, eight years after the Halimi atrocity, the case still inflames opinion.
A Horror Story of True-Life Anti-Semitism in France
Tracy McNicoll
April 28, 2014
Whittam told the jury that any attempts to justify the atrocity were irrelevant.
U.K. Beheading Trial’s Grisly Start
Nico Hines
November 30, 2013

Historical Examples

And then I thought how wicked I might have been,—a monster of crime and atrocity.
A Day's Ride
Charles James Lever
The enemy, he said, meant by this atrocity to frighten our sailors away from the sea.
Notes on Life and Letters
Joseph Conrad
Doctor Crosson mopped his brow at the atrocity of his thoughts this morning.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
The folly of such a government corrects and tempers its atrocity.
Napoleon the Little
Victor Hugo
It was not content with atrocity, it must needs add cynicism.
Napoleon the Little
Victor Hugo

British Dictionary definitions for atrocity

atrocity

noun plural -ties

behaviour or an action that is wicked or ruthless
the fact or quality of being atrocious
(usually plural) acts of extreme cruelty, esp against prisoners or civilians in wartime

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

Word Origin and History for atrocity

n.

1530s, from Middle French atrocité or directly from Latin atrocitatem (nominative atrocitas) "cruelty, fierceness, harshness," noun of quality from atrox "fierce, cruel, frightful," from PIE *atro-ek-, from root *ater- "fire" (see atrium) + *okw- "see" (see eye (n.)); thus "of fiery or threatening appearance." The meaning "an atrocious deed" is from 1793.

atrocity

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}atrocity

Examples from the Web for atrocity

Contemporary Examples

In this other video, 29-year-old Crawford is not committing an atrocity such as might be expected of ISIS.

Fueled by atrocity and a blitzkrieg of gains in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State has enjoyed a meteoric climb to notoriety.

But thankfully, spurred in large part by social media, the world is finally addressing this atrocity.

Suffice it to say, eight years after the Halimi atrocity, the case still inflames opinion.

Whittam told the jury that any attempts to justify the atrocity were irrelevant.

Historical Examples

And then I thought how wicked I might have been,—a monster of crime and atrocity.

The enemy, he said, meant by this atrocity to frighten our sailors away from the sea.

Doctor Crosson mopped his brow at the atrocity of his thoughts this morning.

The folly of such a government corrects and tempers its atrocity.

It was not content with atrocity, it must needs add cynicism.

atrocity

Word Origin and History for atrocity

n.

Origin of atrocity