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.
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
Next, will Baltimore City lack the authority to lock up all felonious individuals for serious or egregious violations of the law?
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
At this point, anyone watching the event (or reading this list) is accustomed to Triple H matches lasting too long, but this seems singularly egregious, especially after the match’s fun first half.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
One of the most egregious examples resulted in the closure of Denver cultivator The Training Fields in 2022.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2025
At the same time, advocates saw it as a way to engage with the agency over the most egregious instance of civil rights violations, and a way to keep other branches within the agency in check.
—Mel Leonor Barclay, Them., 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
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Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
At this point, anyone watching the event (or reading this list) is accustomed to Triple H matches lasting too long, but this seems singularly egregious, especially after the match’s fun first half.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
One of the most egregious examples resulted in the closure of Denver cultivator The Training Fields in 2022.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2025
At the same time, advocates saw it as a way to engage with the agency over the most egregious instance of civil rights violations, and a way to keep other branches within the agency in check.
—Mel Leonor Barclay, Them., 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
Cite this Entry
“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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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