Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EGREGIOUS
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pronounce
EGREGIOUS:
Say it "eh GREE juss."
Or, if you prefer, "ih GREE juss."
To hear it, click here.
Or take it from Jack Sparrow.
connect this word to others:
In Latin, grex means "a herd, or a flock," and gregare means "to gather, or to gather into a herd or flock." As we'll see in a moment, something egregious seems to stand out from among the herd or the flock.
See if you can explain what the words aggregate and gregarious have to do with figurative flocks or herds.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Egregious" has Latin roots that literally mean "out of the flock" or "out of the herd." In Latin, egregius meant "outstanding, excellent, sticking out from everything else in a good way."
That's what "egregious" first meant in English, too. There's Knickers, the outstanding Australian steer, being very literally egregious.
But not "egregious" in the sense of the word today: I'm sure Knickers is a good boy. Over the centuries, we've used the word "egregious" sarcastically so often that it no longer means "outstanding in a wonderful way," but rather "outstanding in a terrible, shocking way."
In other words, today, something egregious is outstandingly bad, outrageously terrible, conspicuously despicable. It's really awful in a way that stands out, even among other awful things.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "an egregious example of waste;" "This abuse of power is egregious."
Other forms:
Egregiously, egregiousness.
how to use it:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "egregious" to call attention to how extremely bad something is, even compared to many other bad things.
We tend to use "egregious" in a dire, serious way, talking about egregious mistakes and failures, egregious abuse and manipulation, an egregious error in judgment, an egregious breach of the law, an egregious violation of human rights, etc.
But we can use it for humor, sarcasm, and exaggeration, too: "this egregious misuse of eye shadow," "this egregious shade of lime green."
examples:
"There aren't many good ways to lose $220 million, but... a particularly egregious one — losing millions of dollars in bitcoin because you forgot the password to your digital wallet."
— Ian Carlos Campbell, The Verge, 12 January 2021
"Misinformation arises from bad data or a distorted analysis of good data... Many of the most egregious bits of misinformation are, on inspection, stupid."
— Arthur Moss, letter to the editor, Scientific American, 1 March 2021
has this page helped you understand "egregious"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "egregious" without saying "flagrant" or "glaring."
try it out:
This video by Time Magazine explores "outrageous pricing and egregious profits" in the field of health care in the United States.
For example, some hospitals charge a patient $77 for the use of a small box of gauze pads that can be purchased for $1 at a drug store.
With US healthcare in mind as an example, talk about another business or industry that's guilty of setting egregious prices or taking egregious profits.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Crossword Clues: Movie Titles!
Use the movie title as a clue to come up with a word we've studied. For example, if the clue is "The Great Escape. 6 letters. _ E C _ M _," then the answer is "DECAMP," a word meaning "to get the heck out of there." To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
Dead Poets Society.
8 letters.
P _ _ T H _ _ _.
review this word:
1.
A few near opposites of EGREGIOUS are
A. SHY and BLUSHING.
B. TYPICAL and CONDONED.
C. VEGAN and DAIRY-FREE.
2.
In an op-ed on college football, Kurt Streeter discussed what he called "an egregious _____."
A. chorus of players, coaches and fans
B. preference for profit over public health
C. decision, smart and sound, that paid heed to science
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Say it "eh GREE juss."
In Latin, grex means "a herd, or a flock," and gregare means "to gather, or to gather into a herd or flock." As we'll see in a moment, something egregious seems to stand out from among the herd or the flock.
"Egregious" has Latin roots that literally mean "out of the flock" or "out of the herd." In Latin, egregius meant "outstanding, excellent, sticking out from everything else in a good way."
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "egregious" to call attention to how extremely bad something is, even compared to many other bad things.
"There aren't many good ways to lose $220 million, but... a particularly egregious one — losing millions of dollars in bitcoin because you forgot the password to your digital wallet."
Explain the meaning of "egregious" without saying "flagrant" or "glaring."
This video by Time Magazine explores "outrageous pricing and egregious profits" in the field of health care in the United States.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1.
A few near opposites of EGREGIOUS are
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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