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egregious - 5 dictionary results

e⋅gre⋅gious

  [i-gree-juhs, -jee-uhs]
Use egregious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: an egregious mistake; an egregious liar.
2. Archaic. distinguished or eminent.
Origin:
1525–35; < L ēgregius preeminent, equiv. to ē- e- + greg-, s. of grēx flock + -ius adj. suffix; see -ous

Related forms:
e⋅gre⋅gious⋅ly, adverb
e⋅gre⋅gious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. gross, outrageous, notorious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To egregious
e·gre·gious   (ĭ-grē'jəs, -jē-əs)   
adj.  Conspicuously bad or offensive. See Synonyms at flagrant.

[From Latin ēgregius, outstanding : ē-, ex-, ex- + grex, greg-, herd; see ger- in Indo-European roots.]
e·gre'gious·ly adv., e·gre'gious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Egregious

E*gre"gious\ (?; 277), a. [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's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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egregious 
c.1534, from L. egregius, from the phrase ex grege "rising above the flock," from ex "out of" + grege, abl. of grex "herd, flock." Disapproving sense, now predominant, arose 16c., originally ironic and is not in the L. word, which etymologically means simply "exceptional."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: egre·gious
Pronunciation: i-'grE-j&s
Function: adjective
: extremely and conspicuously bad
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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