egregious

adjective

egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
1
: conspicuous
especially : conspicuously bad : flagrant
egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence Christopher Hitchens
2
archaic : distinguished
egregiously adverb
egregiousness noun

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.

Examples of egregious in a Sentence

… the public perception is that too many corporate executives have committed egregious breaches of trust by cooking the books, shading the truth, and enriching themselves with huge stock-option profits while shareholders suffered breathtaking losses. John A. Byrne et al., Business Week, 6 May 2002
History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically.  … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates. Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001
an egregious example of political bias the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling
Recent Examples on the Web Boeing’s 737 Max problems would be egregious enough on their own. Allison Morrow, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 While the most egregious cases require enforcement by local and state governments, shining a light on the people doing business in California is good for everyone who calls the state home. Suzanne Dershowitz, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Throughout the story, Sarver denies allegations, offers reasons why his comments and behavior could be taken out of context or admits to some egregious conduct. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Even some egregious violations led to no action by Meta. Michael H. Keller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 In some cases, attorneys have won large settlements for their clients, but the circumstances have to be particularly egregious. Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 One of the most egregious rejections, was dropping the legislation to increase the age to own an AR15 despite multiple testimonies from Uvalde residents soon after the Allen Mall massacre. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 But the most egregious violation occurred in Carson during a rainstorm in December 2021, when a mainline ruptured, sending raw sewage into a residential neighborhood, down storm drains and into the Dominguez Channel before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 But perhaps his most egregious mistake came midway through the first half. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'egregious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin egregius, from e- + greg-, grex herd — more at gregarious

First Known Use

circa 1534, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of egregious was circa 1534

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near egregious

Cite this Entry

“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

egregious

adjective
egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
: very noticeable
especially : glaringly bad
egregious errors
egregiously adverb
egregiousness noun

Legal Definition

egregious

adjective
egre·​gious i-ˈgrē-jəs How to pronounce egregious (audio)
: extremely and conspicuously bad

More from Merriam-Webster on egregious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!