adjective
atrocious
uh-TROH-shuhs
adjective
1
Extremely cruel, brutal, or shocking.
"The report detailed atrocious human rights abuses."
2
Very bad in quality; appalling.
"The weather was atrocious for the entire trip."
"His handwriting is atrocious."
How to Use Atrocious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither horrifyingly cruel, or, more casually, just extremely bad.
Common pairings
atrocious weather
atrocious behavior
atrocious grammar
Word Forms
more atrocious comparative, most atrocious superlative
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The report detailed _____ human rights abuses.
Etymology
From Latin atrox ("cruel, fierce") + -ious.