atrociousness

noun

Definition of atrociousnessnext
1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay George Orwell's novel 1984 captures the atrociousness of tyranny

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrociousness
  1. horror
  2. badness
  3. cruelty
  4. atrocity
  5. sinfulness
  6. brutality
  7. awfulness
  8. evilness
Noun
  • This grief-horror debut centers on the Nakba, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War’s displacement of Palestinians.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • There’s even a nod to 28 Days Later, with Zeta-Jones hobbling across a deserted Westminster Bridge in London wearing blue hospital scrubs, just like Cillian Murphy’s Jim in the 2002 horror movie.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.
    — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of badness
Noun
  • The bureau will additionally consider applicants who have engaged in bestiality or animal cruelty as long as the incidents occurred before the applicant was 18 years old, the sources said, according to CBS News.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Looney Tunes animation–live action hybrid film is an inspired David-and-Goliath tale about the overreach and cruelty of corporations in the modern age, and its journey to release is a real-life corollary.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • From the new arrivals, Dresdeners heard the harrowing tales of mass rapes, murders, and atrocities perpetrated by Russian soldiers eager for revenge.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But a drumbeat of doubt began in Elwood’s head in 2010 on a tour of Sarajevo, where Bosnian-Serb forces had committed atrocities during the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of sinfulness
Noun
  • The army Mladic created to fight in Bosnia was a model of ruthlessness, daring and brutality in the Serb warrior tradition, once prized in the life-or-death partisan struggle against the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia in World War Two.
    — Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Freya is the granddaughter of Athos — a dog who survived the Russian brutality in Bucha and was found on the street where Ukrainian forces destroyed a large Russian convoy, Danylchenko told the Associated Press in an interview.
    — Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of awfulness
Noun
  • That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.
    — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
Definition of evilness
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.

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atrociously
atrociousness
atrocity
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Cite this Entry

“Atrociousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrociousness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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