atrocious

[ uh-troh-shuhs ]
/ əˈtroʊ ʃəs /

adjective

extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal: an atrocious crime.
shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable: an atrocious painting; atrocious manners.

Origin of atrocious

First recorded in 1660–70; atroci(ty) + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM atrocious

a·tro·cious·ly, adverb a·tro·cious·ness, noun

Example sentences from the Web for atrocious

British Dictionary definitions for atrocious

atrocious
/ (əˈtrəʊʃəs) /

adjective

extremely cruel or wicked; ruthless atrocious deeds
horrifying or shocking an atrocious road accident
informal very bad; detestable atrocious writing

Derived forms of atrocious

atrociously, adverb atrociousness, noun

Word Origin for atrocious

C17: from Latin ātrōx dreadful, from āter black