egregious

adjective

egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
1
: conspicuous
especially : conspicuously bad : flagrant
egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And even less egregious maneuvers, such as step therapy, which requires patients to try cheaper medications before insurers will pay for more expensive therapies, can delay treatment needed to stave off suffering. Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024 In a particularly egregious accusation, Golubski was accused of conspiring with three other individuals to abuse Black girls, some as young as 13 years old, while holding them captive for months at a time at an apartment that was also used for drug trafficking. Jelani Cobb, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024 Even the most naked acts of aggression – of which Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is the most egregious example – brands itself, not as imperial, but as anti-fascist. Steven Desmyter, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024 Moreover, one of the most egregious acts of the Biden legislative legacy was the outrageous sentencing disparity between those in possession of crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for egregious 

Word History

Etymology

Latin egregius, from e- + greg-, grex herd — more at gregarious

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of egregious was circa 1550

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Dictionary Entries Near egregious

Cite this Entry

“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

egregious

adjective
egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
: very noticeable
especially : glaringly bad
egregious errors
egregiously adverb
egregiousness noun

Legal Definition

egregious

adjective
egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
: extremely and conspicuously bad

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