Definition

In a very bad or unpleasant way; extremely poorly.

Example

The movie was atrociously bad, and I couldn't finish watching it.

Conversation

Did you see how they played last night?

Yeah, it was atrociously bad, wasn't it?

I couldn't believe how many mistakes they made.

It was painful to watch, for sure!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Atrociously → It is formed from "atrox" (from Latin, meaning cruel or savage) and the suffix "-ious" (meaning full of or characterized by). The word "atrociously" means in a manner that is full of cruelty or savagery.

Memory Tip

Think of the Latin word for cruel, 'atrox', to remember that 'atrociously' describes something done in a cruel or savage way.

Visually Confused Words