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Webster 1913 Edition
Egregious
E-gre′gious
(?; 277)
, Adj.
[L.
egregius
; lit., separated or chosen from the herd, i. e., distinguished, excellent; e
out + grex
, gregis
, herd. See Gregarious
.] Surpassing; extraordinary; distinguished (in a bad sense); – formerly used with words importing a good quality, but now joined with words having a bad sense;
as, an
egregious
rascal; an egregious
ass; an egregious
mistake.The
egregious
impudence of this fellow. Bp. Hall.
His [Wyclif’s]
egregious
labors are not to be neglected. Milton.
Webster 1828 Edition
Egregious
EGRE'GIOUS
,Adj.
1.
Eminent; remarkable; extraordinary; distinguished; as egregious exploits; an egregious prince. But in this sense it is seldom applied to persons.2.
In a bad sense, great; extraordinary; remarkable; enormous; as an egregious mistake; egregious contempt. In this sense it is often applied to persons; as an egregious rascal; an egregious murderer.Definition 2024
egregious
egregious
English
Adjective
egregious (comparative more egregious, superlative most egregious)
- Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.
- The student has made egregious errors on the examination.
- 16thC, Christopher Marlowe, Ignoto,
- I cannot cross my arms, or sigh "Ah me," / "Ah me forlorn!" egregious foppery! / I cannot buss thy fill, play with thy hair, / Swearing by Jove, "Thou art most debonnaire!"
- c1605, William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well, Act 2, Scene 3,
- My lord, you give me most egregious indignity.
- 22 March 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Games
- When the goal is simply to be as faithful as possible to the material—as if a movie were a marriage, and a rights contract the vow—the best result is a skillful abridgment, one that hits all the important marks without losing anything egregious.
- 2014 January 21, Hermione Hoby, “Julia Roberts interview for August: Osage County – 'I might actually go to **** for this ...': Julia Roberts reveals why her violent, Oscar-nominated performance in August: Osage County made her feel 'like a terrible person' [print version: 'I might actually go to **** for this ...' (18 January 2014, p. R4)]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):
- She's sitting opposite a window that's gently breezing into her face, wafting her hair into cover-girl perfection ... It's a little moment that seems to encapsulate her appeal: ... her gorgeousness being so egregious that even breezes oblige with their tousle-fanning effects ...
- Outrageously bad; shocking.
Usage notes
The negative meaning arose in the late 16th century, probably originating in sarcasm. Before that, it meant outstanding in a good way. Webster also gives “distinguished” as an archaic form, and notes that its present form often has an unpleasant connotation (e.g., "an egregious error"). It generally precedes such epithets as “rogue,” “rascal,” "ass," “blunderer”.
Translations
Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion
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outrageously bad
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Related terms
- egregiously (adverb)
- egregia cum laude
- egregore