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atroz

atrocious

adjective ah-TROHS Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: From Latin atrox, atrocis (savage, fierce).

Also means

dreadful

Usage Note

Atroz is invariable for gender (un crimen atroz, una conducta atroz) and its plural is atroces — note the -z to -c spelling change before -es, which follows the standard Spanish orthographic rule. In colloquial speech it is also used hyperbolically for anything very unpleasant: un calor atroz ('unbearable heat').

Examples

"Cometieron un crimen atroz esa noche."

Natural Translation

They committed an atrocious crime that night.

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