atrocious meaning

atrocious as an adjective

1. shockingly brutal or cruel
   • murder is an atrocious crime
   • a grievous offense against morality
   • a grievous crime
   • no excess was too monstrous for them to commit

   Synonyms: flagitious, grievous, monstrous

   Similar: evil

   Related forms: atrocity, atrociousness

2. exceptionally bad or displeasing
   • atrocious taste
   • abominable workmanship
   • an awful voice
   • dreadful manners
   • a painful performance
   • terrible handwriting
   • an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room

   Synonyms: abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable

   Similar: bad

3. provoking horror
   • an atrocious automobile accident
   • a frightful crime of decapitation
   • an alarming, even horrifying, picture
   • war is beyond all words horrible
   • an ugly wound

   Synonyms: frightful, horrifying, horrible, ugly

   Similar: alarming

How to pronounce atrocious

atrocious is pronounced /əˈtroʊʃəs/ in American English. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.

Words that rhyme with atrocious

• ferocious
• precocious