atrocious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈtroʊʃəs/ UK /əˈtrəʊʃəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
horrifyingly wicked; of very poor quality

The weather was atrocious, with sleet driving sideways all day.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · horrifyingly wicked; of... appalling dreadful horrific abominable monstrous heinous ghastly execrable

Opposites

admirable wonderful excellent splendid

Word family

Forms atrociously

Derived forms atrociouslyatrociousness

Related forms atrocity

Simplified etymology

Atrocious comes from Latin atrox, “fierce” or “cruel,” a word based on ater, “black,” and literally meaning “black-looking.” It formerly referred to great savagery, cruelty, or wickedness, but its force later weakened so that it can now describe such things as bad weather or poor English. The related atrocity has retained its stronger sense.

Etymology

From Latin atrox, atrocis ('cruel, fierce, savage'), from ater ('black, dark') + a root related to oculus ('eye'), originally 'of black aspect, grim-looking'.

atrox Latin ater Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# atrocious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /əˈtroʊʃəs/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈtrəʊʃəs/

## Meanings
1. horrifyingly wicked; of very poor quality

## Examples
- The weather was atrocious, with sleet driving sideways all day.

## Synonyms
- appalling
- dreadful
- horrific
- abominable
- monstrous
- heinous
- ghastly
- execrable

## Antonyms
- admirable
- wonderful
- excellent
- splendid

## Derived Forms
- atrociously
- atrociousness

## Related Forms
- atrocity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: atrox
- Root: ater

## Etymology
From Latin atrox, atrocis ('cruel, fierce, savage'), from ater ('black, dark') + a root related to oculus ('eye'), originally 'of black aspect, grim-looking'.

## AI Etymology
Atrocious is from Latin atrox, atrocis ('cruel, fierce, savage'), from ater ('black, dark') + a root related to oculus ('eye'), originally 'of black aspect, grim-looking'. In present-day use, it means horrifyingly wicked; of very poor quality. Derived formations include atrociously and atrociousness. Related vocabulary includes atrocity.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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