atrocity
gb/ətɹˈɑsəti/ us/ətɹˈɑsəti/
C1
Englisch
~ 8400
Bedeutungen
0 Bedeutungen
Nomen
C1
event
1
extremely cruel, violent act
A very cruel and violent act that hurts many people, often in war or during a time of serious conflict.
Verwendungsmuster:
to commit [an atrocity] against [someone / a group]
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners sometimes use "atrocity" to mean any very sad or tragic event, such as an accident or natural disaster. However, an atrocity usually involves someone doing something extremely cruel on purpose, often as part of war or organized violence. A natural disaster is a "tragedy" or "disaster", not an "atrocity" unless human cruelty is clearly involved.
Synonyme
war crime (Often used in legal or political contexts for serious violations of the laws of war; focuses more on legality than horror.)
|
massacre (Suggests the killing of many people, often quickly; does not always include the broader sense of cruelty or inhuman treatment.)
|
horror (More emotional and broad; can be used for anything very shocking, not only violent acts.)
Antonyme
act of mercy (Stresses kindness and compassion, the opposite of cruel violence.)
|
rescue (Highlights saving people from harm, instead of harming them.)
Wortverbindungen
war atrocities
|commit atrocities
|atrocities against civilians
|reports of atrocities
|genocide and other atrocities
|atrocity investigation
Themen
conflict
|law
|ethics
|violence
|politics
Beispiele
- The tribunal was set up to investigate war atrocities committed during the conflict.
- Survivors spoke publicly about the atrocities carried out against their families.
- Human rights groups have documented numerous atrocities by both sides in the civil war.
- The photographs revealed atrocities that the government had long tried to deny.
- They vowed that such atrocities would never be allowed to happen again.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Many people died in the atrocity.
- The soldiers were arrested for the atrocities they committed.
- The world was shocked by the atrocity in the village.
- Witnesses told the court about the atrocity.
- An international team came to study the atrocities in the area.
Nomen
formal
C2
property
2
state of extreme cruelty or evil
The very strong level of cruelty or evil in an action or situation.
Verwendungsmuster:
the atrocity of [an action / a situation]
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may overuse this abstract sense and say things like "the atrocity of my exam" to mean it was very hard. In everyday English, this sounds too strong or strange. Use this sense mainly for serious moral evil or extreme cruelty, not for normal difficulties or annoyances.
Synonyme
barbarity (Very close in meaning, but slightly more literary; emphasizes lack of civilization.)
|
inhumanity (Focuses on the absence of normal human feelings and compassion.)
|
cruelty (More general and common; may describe lesser degrees of unkindness, not always as extreme as "atrocity".)
Antonyme
humanity (Suggests compassion and concern for others, directly opposed to extreme cruelty.)
|
decency (Refers to acceptable moral behavior, contrasted with the moral shock of atrocity.)
Wortverbindungen
the sheer atrocity of
|recognize the atrocity of
|the moral atrocity of
|the atrocity of the crime
|the atrocity of their actions
|understand the atrocity of
Themen
ethics
|law
|politics
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Beispiele
- He struggled to put into words the sheer atrocity of what had happened.
- Commentators wrote about the moral atrocity of targeting children.
- The film forces viewers to confront the atrocity of the regime's actions.
- Historians continue to debate how such atrocity was possible in a modern society.
- Many people failed to grasp the full atrocity of the policy until years later.
Beispiele für Lernende
- She could not understand the atrocity of the crime.
- People were shocked by the atrocity of their actions.
- The book explains the atrocity of life in the prison camp.
- We must remember the atrocity of this history.
- The atrocity of the attack made people very angry.
Nomen
informal
C1
entity
3
extremely ugly or terrible thing
A thing that looks or is very, very bad, often said in a joking way.
Verwendungsmuster:
an atrocity of a/an [noun]
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may use this sense in serious contexts, for example calling a small mistake at work an "atrocity". In everyday English, this sounds too strong or strange. This informal sense is usually light, exaggerated criticism of something ugly, tasteless, or very badly done, often with some humor.
Synonyme
eyesore (Focuses specifically on something ugly to look at; not as emotionally strong as "atrocity".)
|
abomination (Similarly strong or stronger; can sound more dramatic or old-fashioned.)
|
disaster (Common informal word for something that went very badly, but less vivid than calling it an "atrocity".)
Antonyme
masterpiece (Suggests something done extremely well, the opposite of something laughably bad.)
|
work of art (Highlights beauty and skill, in contrast to ugliness or poor quality.)
Wortverbindungen
an atrocity of a dress
|an architectural atrocity
|that fashion atrocity
|an atrocity of a building
|an absolute atrocity
|a culinary atrocity
Themen
opinions
|appearance
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Beispiele
- Who designed this atrocity of a building in the middle of the old town?
- He turned up in an atrocity of a shirt covered in neon patterns.
- Critics called the remake an atrocity of a movie that betrayed the original.
- The hotel served an atrocity of a burger that was burnt on the outside and raw inside.
- She laughed and said her first novel was an atrocity that should never be reprinted.
Beispiele für Lernende
- He wore an atrocity of a tie to the party.
- Many people think that big grey tower is an atrocity.
- We ate an atrocity of a pizza that tasted terrible.
- This old sofa is an atrocity, but it is very comfortable.
- They built an atrocity of a house at the end of our street.
Grammatik
Grundform
atrocity
IPA
GB/ətɹˈɑsəti/
US/ətɹˈɑsəti/
Silben & Betonung
at - ro - city (3 Silben)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ro)
Wortformen
Noun
- Base: atrocity
- Plural: atrocities, atrocity
Wortfamilie
Forms
atrocities
noun
Core family
atrocious
adjective B2
atrociously
adverb
Ausdrücke
an atrocity of a [noun]
1/ən ətɹˈɑsəti əv ə nˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
informal
extremely bad example of something
Used before a noun to say that something is very, very bad or ugly, often in a joking or strong way.
Beispiele
- He bought an atrocity of a car that broke down every week.
- They live in an atrocity of a house painted bright purple and orange.
- She served us an atrocity of a cake that was hard as a rock.
commit atrocities
1/kəmˈɪt ətɹˈɑsətiz/
fixed phrase
carry out very cruel acts
To do very cruel and violent things, often in war or during a time of conflict.
Beispiele
- The report alleges that both sides committed atrocities during the civil war.
- They were accused of committing atrocities against unarmed civilians.
- Leaders who commit atrocities can be tried in international courts.
war atrocities
1/wˈɔɹ ətɹˈɑsətiz/
fixed phrase
extremely cruel acts in war
Very cruel and violent acts that happen in a war, usually against civilians or prisoners.
Beispiele
- The documentary focuses on war atrocities that were hidden for decades.
- Survivors described the war atrocities they witnessed as children.
- New evidence has emerged of war atrocities in the region.