hecatomb

[hek-uh-tohm, -toom] / ˈhɛk əˌtoʊm, -ˌtum /

NOUN

carnage

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bloodshed butchery crime havoc killing mass murder slaughter slaying warfare

STRONG

annihilation blitz blood butchering extermination gore holocaust homicide manslaughter murder offing rapine shambles wasting

WEAK

blood and guts blood bath search and destroy taking out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

peace

NOUN

immolation

Synonyms

STRONG

atonement deduction discount libation oblation offering penance reduction reparation victim

WEAK

sacrificial lamb

Antonyms

STRONG

increase rise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If I may say so, the great hecatomb of pigs you describe on farm has not taken place.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2021

But amid the ensuing hecatomb of the Tet Offensive four years later, LBJ announced he would not run for a second term.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2019

The French Revolution had resurrected the idea of democracy – and produced a hecatomb on a grand scale.

From The Guardian • Oct. 11, 2018

The arrival of newlywed Criminologist Hatch and his bride in a sleepy Pennsylvania village precipitates a hecatomb.

From Time Magazine Archive

Endymion to heaven's airy dome Was offering up a hecatomb of vows, When these words reach'd him.

From Endymion A Poetic Romance by Keats, John