egregious
/i'gri:dʤəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: - Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible: Used to describe something that is remarkably, shockingly, or glaringly bad, wrong, or offensive.
Usage and Examples
- General Usage: The word is used to emphasize the extreme and obvious nature of a fault, error, or wrongdoing.
- The report uncovered egregious accounting errors that cost the company millions.
- His behavior was an egregious breach of professional ethics.
- Common Collocations: It often modifies nouns like , , , , , .
- The judge called it an egregious violation of the defendant's rights.
- She apologized for the egregious mistake in the published article.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Formal and Literary Tone: "Egregious" is a formal word, typically found in written English, legal contexts, journalism, or formal criticism. It is less common in casual conversation.
- The committee condemned the egregious neglect of duty.
- Historical Nuance (Archaic): In its original Latin-derived meaning (16th-17th centuries), "egregious" meant "remarkable" or "outstanding" in a good sense (from "out of" + "flock" – literally "standing out from the flock"). This positive meaning is now obsolete.
- An egregious scholar of his time. (This usage is historical and would not be standard in modern English without context indicating the archaic sense.)
Variants and Related Words
- Egregiously (adverb): In a conspicuously bad or outrageous manner.
- The funds were egregiously mismanaged.
- Egregiousness (noun): The quality of being egregious.
- The egregiousness of the fraud stunned the public.
Synonyms
- Flagrant: Conspicuously offensive (e.g., ).
- Glaring: Very obvious and shocking (e.g., ).
- Gross: Extreme and unacceptable (e.g., ).
- Rank: Complete and utter, often describing negative qualities (e.g., ).
- Outrageous: Shockingly bad or excessive.
- Blatant: Done openly and unashamedly.
Antonyms
- Minor: Of little importance or seriousness.
- Slight: Small in degree.
- Inconspicuous: Not clearly visible or attracting attention.
- Praiseworthy: Deserving approval and admiration.
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
- An egregious error/lie/violation: This is the standard construction. The word itself is the intensifier within the phrase.
- Publishing that false story was an egregious error in judgment.
Adjective
- conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
- a crying shame
- an egregious lie
- flagrant violation of human rights
- a glaring error
- gross ineptitude
- gross injustice
- rank treachery