Did you know that the word egregious originally meant “splendid” or “distinguished” when it was borrowed into English in the late 1500s? However, its meaning shifted over time to “outstandingly bad” due to its frequent use in a sarcastic context. The word was derived from the Latin egregius, which also meant “excellent” and translates to “out of the flock.” This comes from the prefix e-, meaning “out of,” and the root grex, meaning “flock.” While the literary usage of “egregious” peaked in 1590, it has seen a slight resurgence since the late twentieth century.
