Egregious

 WORD OF THE DAY

egregious / adjective / ih-GREE-juss

Definition
1: Conspicuous
2: Flagrant
3 (archaic): Distinguished

Examples
"He made egregious hiring decisions. He oversaw contracts handed out to friends and family."
— editorial, The Forest Park Review (Oak Park, Illinois), 11 Aug. 2021

History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically.  … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates.
— Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001

Did You Know?
Egregious comes from a Latin word meaning "distinguished" or "eminent."
It was once a compliment to someone who had a remarkably good quality that placed him or her above others.
Today, the meaning of the word is noticeably less complimentary, possibly as a result of ironic use of its original sense.