adj
flagrant
FLAY-gruhnt
adj
1
Shockingly obvious and clearly wrong; blatant.
"It was a flagrant violation of the rules."
"The referee called a flagrant foul."
How to Use Flagrant
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo obviously wrong or offensive that it can't be ignored or excused.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "fragrant" (having a pleasant smell) — the words look similar but are unrelated.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
flagrant violation
flagrant disregard
flagrant foul
Word Forms
more flagrant comparative, most flagrant superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “flagrant”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was a _____ violation of the rules.
Etymology
From Latin flagrantem, "burning, blazing," the present participle of flagrare, "to burn" — the sense shifted from literal burning to "glaringly obvious," as if blazing for all to see.