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
The most egregious and illustrative of those deals is the decision to sell Romeo Lavia in 2022.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In response, Sweeney compiled a bunch of the most egregious—and, frankly, ridiculous—comments for an Instagram smackdown, posting them alongside behind-the-scenes videos of her intense Christy Martin training regiment.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 Dec. 2024
The department's statement emphasized that dishonesty is considered one of the most egregious violations in law enforcement and that Pettis failed to take accountability or recognize the severity or impropriety of her behavior.
—Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Silvergate had egregious compliance failures and ultimately shut itself down during the crypto winter surrounding the collapse of FTX.
Between the lines: Other banks reduced their crypto exposure at the same time, to ensure that less than 15% of their business was crypto.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for egregious 
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Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In response, Sweeney compiled a bunch of the most egregious—and, frankly, ridiculous—comments for an Instagram smackdown, posting them alongside behind-the-scenes videos of her intense Christy Martin training regiment.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 Dec. 2024
The department's statement emphasized that dishonesty is considered one of the most egregious violations in law enforcement and that Pettis failed to take accountability or recognize the severity or impropriety of her behavior.
—Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Silvergate had egregious compliance failures and ultimately shut itself down during the crypto winter surrounding the collapse of FTX.
Between the lines: Other banks reduced their crypto exposure at the same time, to ensure that less than 15% of their business was crypto.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 11 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 23 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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