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Egregious Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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egregious

[ษชหˆษกriหdส’ษ™s ]

Definition

Context #1 | Adjective

negative behavior

Egregious refers to something that is extraordinarily bad or shocking. It is often used to describe actions or behaviors that are conspicuously and outrageously bad, flagrant, or glaringly wrong.

Synonyms

appalling, atrocious, flagrant, outrageous, shocking.

Examples of usage

  • The teacher was shocked by the student's egregious cheating on the exam.
  • Her egregious disregard for the rules led to severe consequences.
  • The company's egregious violations of safety regulations resulted in a serious accident.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Usage in Literature

  • Several literary works have described charactersโ€™ egregious actions, particularly in Shakespearean plays, highlighting moral flaws.
  • In 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne, egregious social judgments illustrate themes of sin and redemption.
  • Modern authors often use the term to emphasize scandalous or outrageous behavior in character development.

Pop Culture

  • The term is frequently used by commentators in political discussions to describe actions that are morally unacceptable.
  • Various news headlines have included the word to describe notable scandals or unethical behavior in sports or business.
  • TV shows often depict egregious violations of social norms, which drives character conflict and plot twists.

Psychology

  • Egregious actions can trigger strong emotional responses in people, evoking feelings of anger or disbelief.
  • Psychologists study how egregious behaviors impact social trust and cooperation among groups.
  • Understanding the reasons behind egregious behavior can help in developing strategies to prevent such actions in communities.

Origin of 'egregious'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Latin 'egregius', meaning 'distinguished' or 'eminent', originally used in a positive sense.
  • Over time, it evolved to have a negative connotation, particularly emphasizing being notably bad.
  • In the 18th century, the transformation from a positive to a negative meaning began to take root in English.

The word 'egregious' comes from the Latin word 'egregius', which means 'distinguished' or 'eminent'. The original meaning in Latin was positive, used to describe one who stands out from the crowd for good reasons. However, over time the meaning shifted in English to take on a negative connotation, particularly in the 15th century, where it began to refer to actions or behaviors that were exceptional but in a bad way. The evolution of the term reflects a significant transformation in its acceptance from something praiseworthy to something deserving of condemnation. Today, it is often used in legal and informal contexts to highlight severe misdemeanors, ethical violations, or wrongful behaviors that are conspicuously bad.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #20,566, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.