egregious

/əˈɡɹiː.dʒi.əs/

Group 8Difficulty 2/3

Definition

(adjective)
Outstandingly bad; shocking
GRE

Example in Context

The audit revealed egregious violations of safety protocols that had placed hundreds of workers at risk over a period of years.

Synonyms

terribleshockingoutrageous

Etymology

Gathering out of the norm, outstandingly bad.

  • e- (Latin) — out of
  • gregare (Latin) — to gather

Memory Aid

💰Sounds like “e-greedy-us

The E-GREEDY US citizens took all the cookies, committing an EGREGIOUS crime!

Visual Association

🚨A red alarm blaring as a cookie thief sneaks away with an entire jar!

Semantic Clusters

Synonym Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “egregious” mean on the GRE?

egregious (adjective) means “Outstandingly bad; shocking”. The audit revealed egregious violations of safety protocols that had placed hundreds of workers at risk over a period of years.

How to remember “egregious” for the GRE?

Mnemonic: “egregious” sounds like “e-greedy-us”. The E-GREEDY US citizens took all the cookies, committing an EGREGIOUS crime!

What are synonyms for “egregious”?

Common synonyms: terrible, shocking, outrageous.