Meaning & use
egregious
Last updated
UK/ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/
US/ɪˈɡridʒəs/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.
Meaning
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
Shockingly bad in a way that stands out and cannot be ignored.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: an egregious error.
Patterns
- an egregious mistake
- an egregious abuse of something
Forgetting to back up the files was an egregious mistake.
The report describes egregious violations of safety rules.
It was an egregious waste of public money.
Word forms
| comparative | more egregious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most egregious |
Common combinations
- egregious error
- The textbook contained an egregious error on the first page.
- egregious violation
- The inspector found an egregious violation of hygiene rules.
- egregious abuse
- Critics called it an egregious abuse of power.
- egregious example
- This is an egregious example of false advertising.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flagrant
- Flagrant stresses that the wrong is done openly with no attempt to hide it, whereas egregious stresses how bad it is.
- glaring
- Glaring is less formal and emphasizes how easy something is to notice, not how serious it is.
- outrageous
- Outrageous focuses on the anger it causes, while egregious is a cooler, more formal judgment.
- blatant
- Blatant suggests obvious and shameless behavior, often without implying the extreme harm of egregious.
Opposites
Word family
- egregiously adverb
- in a shockingly bad way, as in egregiously unfair
- egregiousness noun
- the quality of being shockingly bad
Commonly confused: egregious or gregarious?
egregious vs gregarious
Gregarious means sociable and fond of company; it looks similar but has nothing to do with being bad.
Practice
The auditor called the company's hidden fees an ___ abuse of customer trust.
Choose one answer.
Egregious means outstandingly and shockingly bad, which suits a serious abuse. Negligible would mean too small to matter.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “egregious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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