Word of the Day:

September 8, 2021

egregious

adjective ih-GREE-juss

What it Means

Egregious means "obviously or noticeably bad."

// It is an egregious breach of theater etiquette to not shut off one's cell phone during the performance.

Egregious in Context

"He made egregious hiring decisions. He oversaw contracts handed out to friends and family." — editorial, The Forest Park Review (Oak Park, Illinois), 11 Aug. 2021

More example sentences

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.

Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of egregious: _ _ ar _ n _.

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