atrocity
/əˈtrɒsɪti
/noun (plural atrocities)
1An extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury: a textbook which detailed war atrocities...
- They are forced to commit atrocities against their own families and communities.
- Those responsible for atrocities against the Acehnese should be brought to trial.
- Rights advocates say that the number of atrocities against women in the country is increasing.
Synonyms
act of barbarity, act of brutality, act of savagery, act of wickedness, cruelty, abomination, enormity, outrage, horror, monstrosity, obscenity, iniquity, violation, crime, transgression, wrong, wrongdoing, offence, injury, affront, scandal, injustice, abuse;
Law malfeasance, tort
barbarity, barbarism, brutality, savagery, inhumanity, cruelty, wickedness, badness, baseness, evil, iniquity, horror, heinousness, villainy, lawlessness, crime, transgression, wrong, wrongdoing, injustice, abuse;
Law malfeasance
rare malefaction
1.1 humorous A highly unpleasant or distasteful object: atrocities in cheap red nylon...
- I remember thinking that if I were blindfolded and forced to taste and identify this carbonated atrocity, I would have guessed it was antifreeze, aftershave or pond water.
- While some of my colleagues are asking kids to change out of shirts that expose their midriffs and skirts that fall ten inches or so above the knee, I usually find myself blissfully unaware of the tasteless atrocities that I am supposedly bombarded with on a daily basis.
Origin
Mid 16th century (in the sense 'cruelty'): from French atrocité or Latin atrocitas, from atrox, atroc- 'cruel'.