October 13, 2009
- egregious (adjective)
- \ih-GREE-jus\
- What does it mean?
- : very noticeable : glaring
- How do you use it?
- Mom's scolding made it clear that making slurping noises at the dinner table was an egregious mistake, and I won't do it again.
- Are you a word wiz?
Sometimes, a word's meaning changes over time. "Egregious" used to have a different meaning than it does now. Which word below do you think tells the former meaning of "egregious"?
Before the 1500s, it was a compliment to be called "egregious." Back then, the term meant "distinguished," and it was used for someone who had some remarkably good quality. However, people started using the word ironically to refer to people who were not really distinguished, but who seemed to think they were. As a result, the meaning of "egregious" gradually shifted from "distinguished" to "conspicuously bad" -- so you definitely don't want to do something egregious now!
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