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extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal:
an atrocious crime.
shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable:
an atrocious painting; atrocious manners.
Contemporary Examples

The teams arrived on Dec. 13 at the South Pole after a difficult trip bedeviled by atrocious conditions.
Check Out Prince Harry’s MASSIVE New Polar Beard! Tom Sykes December 16, 2013

From an atrocious starting point, enrollment on HealthCare.gov is essentially quadrupling.
Told You So: Obamacare’s Back Michael Tomasky December 11, 2013

On spending and economic issues, he was atrocious and hypocritical in all the ways that a Republican can be.
Now Let’s Replace All the Other Big-Spending Eric Cantors Nick Gillespie June 10, 2014

I fast became an expert at online dating, and learned my competition was atrocious.
Justin Timberlake Revives Myspace and the Internet Reels Winston Ross September 27, 2012

And the lip syncing was atrocious, with at least a majority of spoken lines failing to match up with the bizarre mouth movements.
‘Killzone: Shadow Fall’ Review: Oh My God, This PlayStation 4 Game Is Beautiful Alec Kubas-Meyer November 18, 2013

Historical Examples

What atrocious edict was issued by the senate of Constantinople?
Pinnock’s Improved Edition of Dr. Goldsmith’s History of Rome Oliver Goldsmith

He began to hesitate, having an atrocious dread of risking his tranquillity.
Therese Raquin Emile Zola

And in power they valued most dearly the atrocious right of silencing, by foul means or fair, all opinions that were not official.
Diderot and the Encyclopaedists (Vol 1 of 2) John Morley

The weather is, however, atrocious, and I am half choked with a cold.
Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II (of II) Edmund Downey

The excuse pleaded for this atrocious barbarity was, that the victims were disguised as Indians.
The Conquest of Canada (Vol. 2 of 2) George Warburton

adjective
extremely cruel or wicked; ruthless: atrocious deeds
horrifying or shocking: an atrocious road accident
(informal) very bad; detestable: atrocious writing
adj.

1660s, from stem of Latin atrox “fierce, savage, cruel” (see atrocity) + -ous. Colloquial sense “very bad” is late 19c. Related: Atrociously; atrociousness.