egregious
pronunciation
How to pronounce egregious in British English: UK [ɪˈgri:dʒiəs]
How to pronounce egregious in American English: US [ɪˈɡridʒəs, -dʒiəs]
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- Adjective:
- conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
Word Origin
- egregious
- egregious: see segregate
- egregious (adj.)
- 1530s, "distinguished, eminent, excellent," from Latin egregius "distinguished, excellent, extraordinary," from the phrase ex grege "rising above the flock," from ex "out of" (see ex-) + grege, ablative of grex "herd, flock" (see gregarious). Disapproving sense, now predominant, arose late 16c., originally ironic. It is not in the Latin word, which etymologically means simply "exceptional." Related: Egregiously; egregiousness.
Example
- 1. Why do german economists not complain more about this egregious failure ?
- 2. The most egregious excessive bonus payouts now include a tenuous link to performance .
- 3. The most egregious recent example : so-called affordable housing policies to enable as many americans as possible to own their homes .
- 4. Funny thing is , when we recently closed one of the most egregious loopholes for companies creating jobs overseas , republicans in congress were almost unanimously opposed .
- 5. It is also a means of flushing out egregious corruption or other misdemeanours by local officials who , far from the watchful eye of beijing , may be abusing power .