flagitious

American  

[fluh-jish-uhs] / fləˈdʒɪʃ əs /

adjective

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

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

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flagitious British  

/ fləˈdʒɪʃəs /

adjective

1. atrociously wicked; vicious; outrageous

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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

In truth, the ancient problem is extinct, and no reader of this volume will continue to wonder how so intelligent and reasonable a man came to propose such flagitious counsels.

From The History of Freedom by Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron

But he soon after lost his own flagitious Life, and a most cruelly-acquired Crown, on the Plains of Bosworth.

From An Essay on the Antient and Modern State of Ireland by Brooke, Henry

Suspicious that Rebel citizens within our lines were more or less implicated in this and other raids, quite a number of arrests were made among them, which cleared the country of the most flagitious cases.

From Three Years in the Federal Cavalry by Glazier, Willard W.

These men were reported to be heretics, Lutherans in disguise, seducers of youth, and men of flagitious life.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 09 by Johnson, Rossiter