egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs 
1
: conspicuous
especially
: conspicuously bad : flagrant
egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence —
Christopher Hitchens
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.
Synonyms
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
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
And even less egregious maneuvers, such as step therapy, which requires patients to try cheaper medications before insurers will pay for more expensive therapies, can delay treatment needed to stave off suffering.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
In a particularly egregious accusation, Golubski was accused of conspiring with three other individuals to abuse Black girls, some as young as 13 years old, while holding them captive for months at a time at an apartment that was also used for drug trafficking.
—Jelani Cobb, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Even the most naked acts of aggression – of which Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is the most egregious example – brands itself, not as imperial, but as anti-fascist.
—Steven Desmyter, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Moreover, one of the most egregious acts of the Biden legislative legacy was the outrageous sentencing disparity between those in possession of crack cocaine and powder cocaine.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
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Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
In a particularly egregious accusation, Golubski was accused of conspiring with three other individuals to abuse Black girls, some as young as 13 years old, while holding them captive for months at a time at an apartment that was also used for drug trafficking.
—Jelani Cobb, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Even the most naked acts of aggression – of which Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is the most egregious example – brands itself, not as imperial, but as anti-fascist.
—Steven Desmyter, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Moreover, one of the most egregious acts of the Biden legislative legacy was the outrageous sentencing disparity between those in possession of crack cocaine and powder cocaine.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for egregious
Dictionary Entries Near egregious
Cite this Entry
“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: very noticeable
especially
: glaringly bad
egregious errors
egregiously
adverb
egregiousness
noun
Legal Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: extremely and conspicuously bad
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