egregious

[ih-gree-juh s, -jee-uh s]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR egregious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: an egregious mistake; an egregious liar.

Archaic. distinguished or eminent.

Origin of egregious

1525–35; < Latin ēgregius preeminent, equivalent to ē- e-¹ + greg-, stem of grēx flock + -ius adj. suffix; see -ous

Related formse·gre·gious·ly, adverbe·gre·gious·ness, nounnon·e·gre·gious, adjectivenon·e·gre·gious·ly, adverbnon·e·gre·gious·ness, nounun·e·gre·gious, adjectiveun·e·gre·gious·ly, adverbun·e·gre·gious·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for egregious

grievous, scandalous, deplorable, flagrant, heinous, nefarious, atrocious, shocking, glaring, intolerable, extreme, arrant, capital, gross, infamous, insufferable, monstrous, notorious, outright, preposterous

Examples from the Web for egregious

Contemporary Examples of egregious

Perhaps one of the most egregious examples is the abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?
Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe
January 2, 2015
Here are just a few of the most egregious uses of lethal force by Chicago police.
Chicago’s Cops Don’t Even Get Investigated for Shooting People in the Back
Justin Glawe
December 5, 2014
The most egregious uses of lethal force have been borne by people with intellectual disabilities and children.
Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls
Emily Shire
December 4, 2014
To call Wild an emotional film would be an egregious disservice to its astounding journey to screen.
Crying With Laura Dern: The Star on Her Oscar-Worthy ‘Wild’ Turn
Kevin Fallon
December 3, 2014
Conditions are worsening and the Rodney King verdict is certainly not the most egregious injustice in our midst.
‘Why Have I Lost Control?’: Cory Booker in ’92 on Rodney King Echoes Ferguson
Cory Booker
November 26, 2014

Historical Examples of egregious

He felt happier now that he had pricked the egregious fellow's vanity.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
I had followed her in, and I ground my teeth at such an egregious piece of folly.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini
It is much more likely that I should be an egregious failure.
Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini
But he in his egregious vanity must of cours e misunderstand.
The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series
Rafael Sabatini
It would seem, conversely, that they who cope ill have made some egregious blunder?
The Memorabilia
Xenophon

British Dictionary definitions for egregious

egregious

adjective

outstandingly bad; flagrantan egregious lie

archaic distinguished; eminent

Derived Formsegregiously, adverbegregiousness, noun

Word Origin for egregious

C16: from Latin ēgregius outstanding (literally: standing out from the herd), from ē- out + grex flock, herd

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for egregious

adj.

1530s, "distinguished, eminent, excellent," from Latin egregius "distinguished, excellent, extraordinary," from the phrase ex grege "rising above the flock," from ex "out of" (see ex-) + grege, ablative of grex "herd, flock" (see gregarious).

Disapproving sense, now predominant, arose late 16c., originally ironic and is not in the Latin word, which etymologically means simply "exceptional." Related: Egregiously; egregiousness.