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Contemptible vs Atrocious - What's the difference?

contemptible | atrocious |

As adjectives the difference between contemptible and atrocious

is that contemptible is deserving contempt while atrocious is frightful, evil, cruel or monstrous.

contemptible

English

Alternative forms

* contemptable

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • deserving contempt
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=between 1812 and 1814 , author= , title= , chapter=1 , passage=Miss Ward’s match, indeed, when it came to the point, was not contemptible : Sir Thomas being happily able to give his friend an income in the living of Mansfield...}}

    Synonyms

    * despicable

    atrocious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Frightful, evil, cruel or monstrous.
  • Offensive or heinous. (rfex)
  • Very bad; abominable or disgusting.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "atrocious" is often applied: crime, act, murder, condition, spelling, grammar.

    Related terms

    * atrocity