The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is…

egregious (adjective):

1 : conspicuous – especially, conspicuously bad

2 : archaic : distinguished

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Egregious derives from the Latin word egregius, meaning “distinguished” or “eminent.” In its earliest English uses, egregious was a compliment to someone who had a remarkably good quality that placed him or her eminently above others. That’s how English philosopher and theorist Thomas Hobbes used it in flattering a colleague when he remarked, “I am not so egregious a mathematician as you are.” Since Hobbes’ day, however, the meaning of the word has become noticeably less complimentary, possibly as a result of ironic use of its original sense.

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