egregious

[ ih-gree-juhs, -jee-uhs ]

adjective

1. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant:

   an egregious mistake; an egregious liar.

   Synonyms: shocking, notorious, outrageous, gross

   Antonyms: unnoticeable, minor, moderate, tolerable

2. Archaic. distinguished or eminent.

egregious

/ -dʒɪəs; ɪˈɡriːdʒəs /

adjective

1. outstandingly bad; flagrant

   an egregious lie

2. archaic.
   distinguished; eminent

Derived Forms

• eˈgregiously, adverb
• eˈgregiousness, noun

Other Words From

• e·gregious·ly adverb
• e·gregious·ness noun
• none·gregious adjective
• none·gregious·ly adverb
• none·gregious·ness noun
• une·gregious adjective
• une·gregious·ly adverb
• une·gregious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of egregious¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin ēgregius “preeminent, outstanding,” equivalent to ē- + greg-, stem of grēx “flock” + -ius adjective suffix; e- ¹, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of egregious¹

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

Example Sentences

“Law enforcement professionals investigating these types of egregious crimes have specialized training and follow specific protocols to ensure a proper investigation, evidence preservation, and public safety,” the release said.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2020, the former high-level Republican strategist Stuart Stevens wrote that by embracing Donald Trump, people who created the modern Republican Party had egregiously betrayed the principles it claimed to represent.

From Salon

It represents a failure of the Republican Party to filter out candidates who are egregiously unfit for office.

From Salon

"The Archbishop reiterates his horror at the scale of John Smyth's egregious abuse, as reflected in his public apology," Lambeth Palace said.

From BBC

Citing Justice Department sources, NBC News reported that officials are focusing on trying the “most egregious” cases before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January.

From BBC

Related Words

• atrocious
• deplorable
• extreme
• flagrant
• glaring
• grievous
• heinous
• intolerable
• nefarious
• scandalous
• shocking