flagitious
/flə'dʤiʃəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Extremely wicked, villainous, or criminal: Describes a person, action, or crime that is shockingly evil, deeply sinful, or outrageously atrocious.
- Morally reprehensible or abominable: Characterizes something as profoundly offensive to moral standards.
Usage and Examples
- Adjective:
- The historian described the tyrant's flagitious reign, marked by widespread torture and executions.
- The court sought to punish the flagitious act of treason against the crown.
- His flagitious behavior shocked even his most cynical associates.
Advanced Usage
- Literary/Formal Context: The term is primarily used in formal, literary, or historical contexts to emphasize the depth of evil or criminality. It is not common in everyday conversation.
- The novel's antagonist was guilty of flagitious deeds that haunted the protagonist.
Variants and Related Words
- Flagitiousness (noun): The state or quality of being flagitious.
- The flagitiousness of the plot was undeniable.
Synonyms
- Heinous: Utterly odious or wicked.
- Atrocious: Extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel.
- Monstrous: Shockingly evil or unjust.
- Villainous: Pertaining to or characteristic of a villain.
- Nefarious: Wicked or criminal.
Antonyms
- Virtuous: Having high moral standards.
- Righteous: Morally right or justifiable.
- Noble: Having fine personal qualities or high moral principles.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- While there are no common idioms using "flagitious" itself, the concept is often expressed in phrases like:
- A crime against humanity: Used for acts of a flagitious nature on a large scale.
- Depths of depravity: Describes a state of extreme moral corruption.
Adjective
- shockingly brutal or cruel
- murder is an atrocious crime
- a grievous offense against morality
- a grievous crime
- no excess was too monstrous for them to commit
- extremely wicked, deeply criminal
- a flagitious crime
- heinous accusations