different between atrocious vs flagitious

English

Etymology

From Latin atr?x (“cruel, fierce, frightful”) +? -ious.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?-tr??-sh?s
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??t?????s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??t?o???s/
• Rhymes: -????s
• Hyphenation: a?tro?cious

Adjective

atrocious (comparative more atrocious, superlative most atrocious)

1. Frightful, evil, cruel, or monstrous.

2. Offensive or heinous.
3. Very bad; abominable, disgusting.

Derived terms

• atrociously
• atrociousness
• vomitrocious

Related terms

• atrocity

Translations

English

Etymology

Old French flagitieux or Latin fl?giti?sus, both ultimately from fl?gitium (“shameful crime”), related to flagrum (“whip”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fl??d????s/

Adjective

flagitious (comparative more flagitious, superlative most flagitious)

1. (literary) Guilty of terrible crimes; wicked, criminal.
   • 1716 Nov 7th, quoted from 1742, probably Alexander Pope, God's Revenge Against Punning, from Miscellanies, 3rd volume, page 227:

     This young Nobleman was not only a flagitious Punster himself, but was accessary to the Punning of others, by Consent, by Provocation, by Connivance, and by Defence of the Evil committed […] .
2. (literary) Extremely brutal or wicked; heinous, monstrous.

   Synonyms: infamous, scandalous, nefarious, iniquitous

   • 1959 (1985), Rex Stout, "Assault on a Brownstone", Death Times Three, page 186:

     As he entered he boomed: "Monstrous! Flagitious!"

References