The Princess Margaret School Library is pleased to bring you:
The Word of the Week: EGREGIOUS
Definition:
• Egregious (pronounced: [ee-gree-jus] means something that is shockingly bad or obviously wrong. It’s used when someone or something does something so wrong that everyone notices.
Etymology (Where does the word come from?):
• Egregious comes from the Latin word egregius, which meant “outstanding” or “remarkable” in a positive way. But over time, the meaning changed. Instead of standing out for being good, egregious now refers to something that stands out for being really bad!
How to Use “Egregious”:
1. Breaking the rules:
• “His behavior in class was so egregious that the teacher had to send him to the principal’s office.”
2. Sports:
• “The referee’s egregious mistake cost the team the game.”
3. Lying:
• “Her egregious lie hurt her friend’s feelings and broke their trust.”
4. Mistakes:
• “The project had so many egregious errors that it had to be completely redone.”
Fun Fact:
• The word egregious used to mean something great or outstanding in a good way! Over time, people started using it sarcastically to describe things that were “so bad they’re unbelievable,” and that’s how it got its current meaning.
Practice Using It:
Think about a time you saw or heard about something that was so obviously wrong or unfair. How would you describe it as egregious?
