Atrociousness

Atrociousness
Atrocious A*tro"cious, a. [L. atrox, atrocis, cruel, fierce: cf. F. atroce.] 1. Extremely heinous; full of enormous wickedness; as, atrocious guilt or deeds. [1913 Webster]

2. Characterized by, or expressing, great atrocity. [1913 Webster]

Revelations . . . so atrocious that nothing in history approaches them. --De Quincey. [1913 Webster]

3. Very grievous or violent; terrible; as, atrocious distempers. [Obs.] --Cheyne. [1913 Webster]

Syn: {Atrocious}, {Flagitious}, {Flagrant}.

Usage: Flagitious points to an act as grossly wicked and vile; as, a flagitious proposal. Flagrant marks the vivid impression made upon the mind by something strikingly wrong or erroneous; as, a flagrant misrepresentation; a flagrant violation of duty. Atrocious represents the act as springing from a violent and savage spirit. If Lord Chatham, instead of saying ``the atrocious crime of being a young man,'' had used either of the other two words, his irony would have lost all its point, in his celebrated reply to Sir Robert Walpole, as reported by Dr. Johnson. [1913 Webster] -- {A*tro"cious*ly}, adv. -- {A*tro"cious*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • atrociousness — n. 1. the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane. Syn: atrocity, barbarity, barbarousness, heinousness. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • atrociousness — noun see atrocious …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • atrociousness — See atrociously. * * * …   Universalium

  • atrociousness — noun the state of being atrocious …   Wiktionary

  • atrociousness — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun 1. The quality of passing all moral bounds: atrocity, enormity, heinousness, monstrousness. See GOOD. 2. The quality or state of being flagrant: atrocity, egregiousness, enormity, flagrance, flagrancy, flagrantness,… …   English dictionary for students

  • atrociousness — n. cruelty, heartlessness, barbarity, monstrousness …   English contemporary dictionary

  • atrociousness — atro·cious·ness …   English syllables

  • atrociousness — noun the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane • Syn: ↑atrocity, ↑barbarity, ↑barbarousness, ↑heinousness • Derivationally related forms: ↑barbarous (for: ↑barbarousness), ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • enormity — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. wickedness, atrociousness; atrocity, outrage; immensity, enormousness, greatness. See guilt. II (Roget s IV) n. 1. [Vice] Syn. atrocity, outrage, depravity, wickedness; see atrocity 2 , crime 1 , evil …   English dictionary for students

  • enormity — /i nawr mi tee/, n., pl. enormities 1. outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness: the enormity of war crimes. 2. something outrageous or heinous, as an offense: The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief. 3.… …   Universalium

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