Meaning & use
egregiously
Last updated
Meaning
adverb
In a way that is shockingly bad, obvious, or offensive.
Grammar: Modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs; it almost always describes something negative.
Patterns
- egregiously wrong
- egregiously bad
- behave egregiously
The report was egregiously inaccurate and had to be rewritten.
He behaved egregiously at the meeting, insulting several colleagues.
The company egregiously ignored safety rules for years.
Common combinations
- egregiously wrong
- The judge said the earlier decision was egregiously wrong.
- egregiously bad
- The service at the hotel was egregiously bad.
- egregiously violated
- The contract was egregiously violated by both sides.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flagrantly
- 'Flagrantly' stresses open, obvious disregard for rules, while 'egregiously' stresses how shockingly bad the act is.
- grossly
- 'Grossly' is often used with amounts and degrees ('grossly unfair'), while 'egregiously' is stronger and more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- egregious adjective
- Shockingly bad or obvious.
Commonly confused: egregiously or gregariously?
egregiously vs gregariously
These sound similar but mean very different things. 'Gregariously' means in a sociable, outgoing way, while 'egregiously' means shockingly badly.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'egregiously' most naturally.
Choose one answer.
'Egregiously' describes something shockingly bad or wrong, so breaking rules fits. The other options describe neutral or positive things, which do not fit the word's negative force.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “egregiously”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.