atrocious
gb/ətɹˈoʊʃəs/ us/ətɹˈoʊʃəs/
B2
English
~ 9800
szörnyű, borzalmas, csapnivaló, pocsék, szánalmas, tragikus, embertelen, kegyetlen, gyatra
B2
1
Usage pattern:
atrocious [noun] / [something] is atrocious
The hotel room was in atrocious condition, with dirty sheets and a broken shower.
We had atrocious weather for the entire holiday, with cold rain and strong winds every day.
The internet connection here is absolutely atrocious during peak hours.
His behavior at the meeting was atrocious, interrupting and insulting everyone.
The food on the flight was atrocious, barely warm and completely tasteless.
Learner examples
The service at that restaurant is atrocious.
We had atrocious weather on our trip to the beach.
Her attitude toward the customers was atrocious.
The movie was so atrocious that we left early.
The classroom was in atrocious shape after the party.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "atrocious" for mildly negative things (like a slightly boring movie), but it is normally used for very strong criticism. It is also sometimes confused with "outrageous"; "atrocious" focuses more on how extremely bad or unpleasant something is, not on it being surprising or unfair.
Meaning
extremely bad or unpleasant
Collocations
atrocious weather
|atrocious conditions
|atrocious service
|atrocious food
|an atrocious movie
|an atrocious mistake
Synonyms
terrible (More common and slightly weaker; used in a wider range of casual situations.)
|
awful (Very common and informal; often sounds less strong or dramatic than "atrocious.")
|
appalling (Close in strength and shock value; often used for things that morally or emotionally shock people.)
Antonyms
excellent (Emphasizes very high quality, the opposite of something being extremely bad.)
|
good (General positive evaluation, directly contrasting with a strongly negative evaluation.)
Themes
evaluation
|daily life
|communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very, very bad in quality and making people feel strongly unhappy or upset.
Extremely bad in quality or degree, causing strong dislike, discomfort, or shock.
C1
FORMAL
2
embertelen
C1
kegyetlen
B2
Usage pattern:
atrocious [crime/act/abuse]
The dictator was accused of atrocious crimes against his own people.
A diktátort a saját népe ellen elkövetett embertelen bűncselekményekkel vádolták.
Investigators documented the atrocious treatment of prisoners in the camp.
A nyomozók dokumentálták a foglyokkal szembeni embertelen bánásmódot a táborban.
The report detailed an atrocious pattern of abuse over many years.
History will remember the war for its atrocious acts of violence against civilians.
They called for justice for the victims of these atrocious human rights violations.
Learner examples
The army committed atrocious crimes during the war.
A hadsereg embertelen bűncselekményeket követett el a háború alatt.
The prisoners suffered atrocious treatment in the jail.
A foglyok embertelen bánásmódot szenvedtek el a börtönben.
The report talks about atrocious human rights abuses.
The judge said the murder was an atrocious act.
People were shocked by the atrocious violence in the video.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this strong moral sense of "atrocious" for small social problems, like a rude comment. For serious news or legal contexts, "atrocious" usually refers to very serious harm, such as torture, war crimes, or severe abuse.
Meaning
extremely cruel or brutal
Collocations
atrocious crime
|atrocious abuse
|atrocious human rights record
|atrocious acts
|atrocious violence
|atrocious treatment
Synonyms
heinous (Very close in meaning; strongly formal and mainly used for serious crimes or evil acts.)
|
brutal (Emphasizes physical violence and cruelty; slightly more common and less formal.)
Antonyms
humane (Highlights treating people kindly and with care, the opposite of cruel and violent treatment.)
|
merciful (Stresses showing kindness instead of harsh punishment or violence.)
Themes
crime
|ethics
|politics
|core_vocabulary
|law
Definition
Very cruel and very shocking, usually talking about serious crimes or very bad actions.
Extremely cruel, violent, or evil in a way that causes great suffering or moral shock, especially describing crimes or acts.
C1
3
Usage pattern:
atrocious [skill/performance/attempt]
His handwriting is so atrocious that even he can’t read it.
Olyan pocsék a kézírása, hogy még ő maga sem tudja elolvasni.
She gave an atrocious performance in the interview and forgot the basic points.
Pocsékul szerepelt az interjún, és még az alapvető pontokat is elfelejtette.
The translation was atrocious, full of errors and strange phrases.
Their driving was atrocious, with sudden stops and no use of signals.
The essay had atrocious spelling and grammar throughout.
Learner examples
My spelling in English used to be atrocious.
Régebben pocsék volt az angol helyesírásom.
His driving is atrocious, and I feel scared in his car.
Pocsékul vezet, és félek az autójában.
The students’ essays were full of atrocious grammar mistakes.
Her pronunciation was atrocious, so people could not understand her.
The singer had an atrocious performance on live TV.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "atrocious" with simple words like "bad" or "weak." "Atrocious" is much stronger and usually sounds like heavy criticism of how something is done, not just a small problem.
Meaning
extremely poor skill or performance
Collocations
atrocious handwriting
|atrocious spelling
|atrocious grammar
|atrocious driving
|atrocious pronunciation
|atrocious performance
Synonyms
appalling (Very close in strength; highlights shock at how poor the skill or performance is.)
|
abysmal (Stresses extremely low quality or ability, similar level of strong criticism.)
Antonyms
excellent (Describes very high-quality skill or performance, the direct opposite of extremely poor skill.)
|
competent (Means having acceptable or good enough skill, contrasting with being extremely bad at something.)
Themes
communication
|skills
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very, very bad in how something is done, such as writing, speaking, or driving.
Extremely poor in skill, performance, or execution, especially referring to things like handwriting, spelling, driving, or speaking.
Grammar
Dictionary form
atrocious
IPA
GB/ətɹˈoʊʃəs/
US/ətɹˈoʊʃəs/
Syllables & stress
at - ro - cious (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ro)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: atrocious
Word family
Core family
atrocity
noun C1
atrociously
adverb
Advanced or less common
atrociousness
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.