Atrocity
noun
An extremely wicked or cruel act, usually involving physical violence or injury.
The atrocities committed during the war left many people traumatized.
Often appears as...
- commit an atrocity
- wartime atrocity
noun
A highly unpleasant or distasteful object, act, or situation.
They considered his taste in music to be an atrocity.
Often appears as...
- consider something an atrocity
- call something an atrocity
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
An extremely wicked or cruel act, usually involving physical violence or injury.
The atrocities committed during the war left many people traumatized.
Often appears as...
- commit an atrocity
- wartime atrocity
noun
A highly unpleasant or distasteful object, act, or situation.
They considered his taste in music to be an atrocity.
Often appears as...
- consider something an atrocity
- call something an atrocity
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Extreme Wickedness
Use 'atrocity' to describe actions that shock people due to their extreme cruelty.
The history book detailed the atrocities of the dictatorship.
Pro Tip 2/3Beyond Immorality
'Atrocity' implies actions that go far beyond regular immoral deeds and cause suffering.
Survivors spoke of the atrocities they witnessed.
Pro Tip 3/3Violent Connotation
In most contexts, 'atrocity' refers to serious acts of violence against humans.
The regime was notorious for its atrocities.
Pro Tip 1/3Extreme Wickedness
Use 'atrocity' to describe actions that shock people due to their extreme cruelty.
The history book detailed the atrocities of the dictatorship.
Pro Tip 2/3Beyond Immorality
'Atrocity' implies actions that go far beyond regular immoral deeds and cause suffering.
Survivors spoke of the atrocities they witnessed.
Pro Tip 3/3Violent Connotation
In most contexts, 'atrocity' refers to serious acts of violence against humans.
The regime was notorious for its atrocities.
Pro Tip 1/3Extreme Wickedness
Use 'atrocity' to describe actions that shock people due to their extreme cruelty.
The history book detailed the atrocities of the dictatorship.
Pro Tip 2/3Beyond Immorality
'Atrocity' implies actions that go far beyond regular immoral deeds and cause suffering.
Survivors spoke of the atrocities they witnessed.
Pro Tip 3/3Violent Connotation
In most contexts, 'atrocity' refers to serious acts of violence against humans.
The regime was notorious for its atrocities.
Compare with
abominationbarbaritybrutalitycrueltyhorrorinhumanitymonstrosityoutragesavagery
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Video examples
Building community in...
commission is they fundamentally wanted two things they wanted the truth about what happened so they could look back in order to move forward and they wanted acknowledgment they wanted somebody in a position of power to look at them and say an unspeakable atrocities was visited upon you and we in the name of
Video examples
How does chemotherapy...
of affected soldiers— halting its ability to make blood cells. Despite these awful effects, it gave scientists an idea. Cancer cells share a characteristic with bone both replicate rapidly. So could one of the atrocities of war become a champion in the fight against cancer?
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
I started learning about slavery, for I had certainly known it existed in the world, but not to such a degree. After we finished talking, I felt so horrible and honestly ashamed at my own lack of knowledge of this atrocity in my own lifetime, and I thought,
Video examples
David Logan: Tribal...
terrible atrocities had happened in the society. And people came together focused only on those two truth and reconciliation. There was no road map. No one had ever done anything like this before. And in this atmosphere, where the only guidance
Video examples
The Triumph and Tragedy...
sense of the scale of the atrocities of partition american photojournalist margaret burke white who had just covered world war ii and the holocaust likened the streets of india to the gates of the buchenwald concentration camp
Video examples
What “Machiavellian”...
except insofar as it’s helpful or harmful to maintaining power. For instance, princes are told to consider all the atrocities necessary to seize power, and to commit them in a single stroke to ensure future stability.
Video examples
Inside the mind of a...
I was 17. So these experiences gave me a sharp awareness of the atrocities and injustices in the world. And I had a strong desire -- a very keen, deep desire -- to right wrongs and help the victims of oppression.
Video examples
Chris Jordan: Turning...
about what's going on in our culture right now, what's going on in our country, the atrocities that are being committed in our names around the world. They've gone missing; these feelings have gone missing.
Video examples
Samantha Power: Shaking...
that if we are to bring about an end to the world's worst atrocities, we have to make it such. There has to be a role -- there has to be the creation of political noise and political costs
Video examples
Why is this painting so...
its scale only highlights the nearly life-sized atrocities on display. Some possible relief comes from a lamp held tightly by a ghostly woman reaching out her window.
Video examples
Building community in...
commission is they fundamentally wanted two things they wanted the truth about what happened so they could look back in order to move forward and they wanted acknowledgment they wanted somebody in a position of power to look at them and say an unspeakable atrocities was visited upon you and we in the name of
Video examples
How does chemotherapy...
of affected soldiers— halting its ability to make blood cells. Despite these awful effects, it gave scientists an idea. Cancer cells share a characteristic with bone both replicate rapidly. So could one of the atrocities of war become a champion in the fight against cancer?
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
I started learning about slavery, for I had certainly known it existed in the world, but not to such a degree. After we finished talking, I felt so horrible and honestly ashamed at my own lack of knowledge of this atrocity in my own lifetime, and I thought,
Video examples
David Logan: Tribal...
terrible atrocities had happened in the society. And people came together focused only on those two truth and reconciliation. There was no road map. No one had ever done anything like this before. And in this atmosphere, where the only guidance
Video examples
The Triumph and Tragedy...
sense of the scale of the atrocities of partition american photojournalist margaret burke white who had just covered world war ii and the holocaust likened the streets of india to the gates of the buchenwald concentration camp
Video examples
What “Machiavellian”...
except insofar as it’s helpful or harmful to maintaining power. For instance, princes are told to consider all the atrocities necessary to seize power, and to commit them in a single stroke to ensure future stability.
Video examples
Inside the mind of a...
I was 17. So these experiences gave me a sharp awareness of the atrocities and injustices in the world. And I had a strong desire -- a very keen, deep desire -- to right wrongs and help the victims of oppression.
Video examples
Chris Jordan: Turning...
about what's going on in our culture right now, what's going on in our country, the atrocities that are being committed in our names around the world. They've gone missing; these feelings have gone missing.
Video examples
Samantha Power: Shaking...
that if we are to bring about an end to the world's worst atrocities, we have to make it such. There has to be a role -- there has to be the creation of political noise and political costs
Video examples
Why is this painting so...
its scale only highlights the nearly life-sized atrocities on display. Some possible relief comes from a lamp held tightly by a ghostly woman reaching out her window.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Chris Jordan
American Artist
We've lost our sense of outrage, our anger, and our grief about what's going on in our culture right now, what's going on in our country, the atrocities that are being committed in our names around the world. They've gone missing; these feelings have gone missing.
Quote examples
Joshua Oppenheimer
British Director
I think it's our obligation as filmmakers, as people investigating the world, to create the reality that is most insightful to the issues at hand. Here are human beings, like us, boasting about atrocities that should be unimaginable.
Quote examples
Lynne Truss
English Writer
In my worst moments, I think the biggest effect of 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' was to kill the happiness of people who had previously skipped through life, unaware of all the atrocities lurking in the world around them.
Quote examples
Matthew Heineman
Algerian Director
In my humble opinion, propaganda is one of the most evil tools humans have used against humans throughout history to justify wars, justify atrocities, justify evil. ISIS has taken it to a new extreme.
Quote examples
Wamiqa Gabbi
Obviously... I feel it is important for women as well as men. Learning any kind of martial arts will help them when faced with atrocities. There are many incidents where men are also attacked.
Quote examples
Madeline Brewer
American Actress
None of the atrocities in 'The Handmaid's Tale' are pure fiction. Everything Margaret wrote was something that has happened somewhere in the world to human beings.
Quote examples
Azar Nafisi
Iranian Writer
Once we know of atrocities we cannot remain silent, and knowledge inevitably leads to an urge to protect the innocent.
Quote examples
Conrad Black
British Businessman
Perhaps the gravest under-publicized atrocity in the world is the persecution of Christians.
Quote examples
George Steiner
American Critic
Words that are saturated with lies or atrocity, do not easily resume life.
Quote examples
Voltaire
French Writer
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Quote examples
Chris Jordan
American Artist
We've lost our sense of outrage, our anger, and our grief about what's going on in our culture right now, what's going on in our country, the atrocities that are being committed in our names around the world. They've gone missing; these feelings have gone missing.
Quote examples
Joshua Oppenheimer
British Director
I think it's our obligation as filmmakers, as people investigating the world, to create the reality that is most insightful to the issues at hand. Here are human beings, like us, boasting about atrocities that should be unimaginable.
Quote examples
Lynne Truss
English Writer
In my worst moments, I think the biggest effect of 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' was to kill the happiness of people who had previously skipped through life, unaware of all the atrocities lurking in the world around them.
Quote examples
Matthew Heineman
Algerian Director
In my humble opinion, propaganda is one of the most evil tools humans have used against humans throughout history to justify wars, justify atrocities, justify evil. ISIS has taken it to a new extreme.
Quote examples
Wamiqa Gabbi
Obviously... I feel it is important for women as well as men. Learning any kind of martial arts will help them when faced with atrocities. There are many incidents where men are also attacked.
Quote examples
Madeline Brewer
American Actress
None of the atrocities in 'The Handmaid's Tale' are pure fiction. Everything Margaret wrote was something that has happened somewhere in the world to human beings.
Quote examples
Azar Nafisi
Iranian Writer
Once we know of atrocities we cannot remain silent, and knowledge inevitably leads to an urge to protect the innocent.
Quote examples
Conrad Black
British Businessman
Perhaps the gravest under-publicized atrocity in the world is the persecution of Christians.
Quote examples
George Steiner
American Critic
Words that are saturated with lies or atrocity, do not easily resume life.
Quote examples
Voltaire
French Writer
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Example 1 of 10
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