egregious
adjective
Meredith Blake Christopher Hitchens 
Did you know?
Some words originally used for animals that gather in flocks have been herded into use for people, too. The Latin word grex means “flock,” “herd,” or “group,” and is the root of several English words, including gregarious, which originally meant “tending to live in a flock, herd, or community rather than alone” but has become a synonym for “sociable,” and egregious. The Latin forebear of egregious, egregius, literally meant “out of the herd” but was used figuratively to mean “outstanding in one’s field.” Egregious entered English in the 16th century with that same, now-obsolete meaning, but over time gained a sense meaning “conspicuously bad” or “flagrant,” possibly as a result of ironic use of its original sense.
Examples of egregious in a Sentence
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
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Mayor Gloria’s egregious record of reckless spending has contributed to the steady deterioration of our city’s fiscal and civic health.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Even in cases that appear to show more egregious fault, a sentence can be relatively short.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The league is committed to trying to reduce the most egregious forms of tanking — the multi-year versions — in its attempts to get more of its teams to participate fully in actually trying to win games during the regular season.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for egregious
Cite this Entry
“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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egregious
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egregious
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