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Egregious vs Diabolical - What's the difference?

egregious | diabolical |

As adjectives the difference between egregious and diabolical

is that egregious is exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion while diabolical is extremely wicked or cruel.

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”.

    Related terms

    * egregiously (adverb) * egregia cum laude * egregion (noun) * egregore

    diabolical

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Extremely wicked or cruel.
  • Of or concerning the devil; satanic.

    • Derived terms

    * diabolically * diabolicalness

    Related terms

    * diabolic

    References