egregious

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 8, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>egregious</strong> &#149; \ih-GREE-juss\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Egregious</em> means "obviously or noticeably bad."</p> <p>// It is an <em>egregious</em> breach of theater etiquette to not shut off one's cell phone during the performance.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"He made <em>egregious</em> hiring decisions. He oversaw contracts handed out to friends and family." — editorial, <em>The Forest Park Review</em> (Oak Park, Illinois), 11 Aug. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Egregious</em> 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.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>