flagitious

American  

[fluh-jish-uhs] / fləˈdʒɪʃ əs /

adjective

1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.

2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime; infamous.

---

flagitious British  

/ fləˈdʒɪʃəs /

adjective

1. atrociously wicked; vicious; outrageous

---

Other Word Forms

• flagitiously adverb
• flagitiousness noun
• nonflagitious adjective
• nonflagitiously adverb
• nonflagitiousness noun
• unflagitious adjective

Etymology

Origin of flagitious

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flagicious, from Latin flāgitiōsus, equivalent to flāgiti(um) “shame, scandal” + -ōsus -ous

Explanation

Flagitious is a fancy and forceful word for "wicked and nasty." As sheriff, it's up to you to bring the flagitious outlaws to justice. Remember that flagitious has three syllables and the "t" is pronounced like "sh" (similar to "ambitious"). Use flagitious when you want to emphasize the extremely brutal nature of a crime or other bad action. The crime scene photos showed the results of actions so flagitious you could not bear to look at them.

Example Sentences

To applaud the sadists, voyeurs and media manipulators masquerading as directors, actors and writers is as misguided as were the lives of that flagitious couple.

From Time Magazine Archive

But of all the abuses that deformed the Anglo-Saxon government, none was so flagitious as the sale of judicial redress.

From An Essay on the Trial by Jury by Spooner, Lysander

Nowhere in other historians is there a shred of evidence to support the story of Theodora's flagitious life.

From Women of Early Christianity by Brittain, Alfred

This couple were said to have been married without the intervention of go-betweens, and hence the most flagitious conduct was to be expected from them.

From Village Life in China A Study in Sociology by Smith, Arthur H.

The question will obviously occur, whether Constantia was sought by him with upright or flagitious views.

From Ormond, Volume II (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Brown, Charles Brockden