egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs 
1
: conspicuous
especially
: conspicuously bad : flagrant
egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence —
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens 2
archaic
: distinguished
egregiously
adverb
egregiousness
noun
Did you know?
Egregious comes from a Latin word meaning "distinguished" or "eminent." It was once a compliment to someone who had a remarkably good quality that placed him or her above others. Today, the meaning of the word is noticeably less complimentary, possibly as a result of ironic use of its original sense.
Examples of egregious in a Sentence
… the public perception is that too many corporate executives have committed egregious breaches of trust by cooking the books, shading the truth, and enriching themselves with huge stock-option profits while shareholders suffered breathtaking losses.
—John A. Byrne et al., Business Week, 6 May 2002
History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically. … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001
an egregious example of political bias
the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling
John A. Byrne et al., Business Week, 6 May 2002
History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically. … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001
an egregious example of political bias
the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling
Recent Examples on the Web
This was an egregious set of facts that resulted in a conviction along with a 10-15-year prison sentence.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
That truth, coupled with what could justifiably be perceived as a general and egregious lack of adequate safety measures, presents an unacceptable, untenable reality for MNPS parents.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This year, our legislators could have come together to advance the will of the people, but instead, 2025 brought some egregious attempts to further undermine a person’s right to choose.
—Nicole McCurdy, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
His intermittent dilly-dallying doesn’t always feel egregious.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
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Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
That truth, coupled with what could justifiably be perceived as a general and egregious lack of adequate safety measures, presents an unacceptable, untenable reality for MNPS parents.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This year, our legislators could have come together to advance the will of the people, but instead, 2025 brought some egregious attempts to further undermine a person’s right to choose.
—Nicole McCurdy, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
His intermittent dilly-dallying doesn’t always feel egregious.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
Cite this Entry
“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: very noticeable
especially
: glaringly bad
egregious errors
egregiously
adverb
egregiousness
noun
Legal Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: extremely and conspicuously bad
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