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Conspicuous vs Egregious - What's the difference?

conspicuous | egregious |

As adjectives the difference between conspicuous and egregious

is that conspicuous is obvious or easy to notice while egregious is exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.

conspicuous

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Obvious or easy to notice.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=7 citation , passage=“No, don't,” replied the superintendent; “in fact, I'd rather you made yourself conspicuous elsewhere. Go down to the landing stage and cross to New Brighton or Wallasey—doesn't matter which—and come back. No doubt you will be seen, and reported to have gone across.”}}
    He was conspicuous by his absence.
  • Noticeable or attracting attention, especially if unattractive.
  • * 1969 , Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet , Penguin Books Ltd, page 6:
  • For his height he had a small face. The combination made him conspicuous .
    He had a conspicuous lump on his forehead.

    Antonyms

    * inconspicuous

    egregious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.
  • The student has made egregious errors on the examination.
  • * 16thC , ,
  • I cannot cross my arms, or sigh "Ah me," / "Ah me forlorn!" egregious foppery! / I cannot buss thy fill, play with thy hair, / Swearing by Jove, "Thou art most debonnaire!"
  • * c1605 , , Act 2, Scene 3,
  • My lord, you give me most egregious indignity.
  • * 22 March 2012 , Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Games [http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hunger-games,71293/]
  • When the goal is simply to be as faithful as possible to the material—as if a movie were a marriage, and a rights contract the vow—the best result is a skillful abridgment, one that hits all the important marks without losing anything egregious .
  • * '>citation
  • Outrageously bad; shocking.
  • Usage notes

    The negative meaning arose in the late 16th century, probably originating in sarcasm. Before that, it meant outstanding in a good way. Webster also gives “distinguished” as an archaic form, and notes that its present form often has an unpleasant connotation (e.g., "an egregious error" ). It generally precedes such epithets as “rogue,” “rascal,” "ass," “blunderer”.