Flagrant is an adjective describing something conspicuously offensive or obviously wrong, so glaring as to attract notice or to provoke scandal. It denotes brazen, unambiguous wrongdoing or behavior that is openly evident, not just questionable. The term often carries a strong negative connotation and is used in formal or semi-formal critique and discourse.
"The politician's flagrant disregard for rules sparked widespread outrage."
"Her flagrant misrepresentation of the data led to a formal correction."
"The coach criticized the flagrant foul, ejecting the player from the game."
"The company faced consequences for its flagrant violations of environmental standards."
Flagrant comes from the French flagrer, flagrer meaning to burn or blaze, ultimately from Latin flagrare, meaning to burn. The word entered English in the 17th century with a sense of burning or flaming, later extending to ‘burningly evident’ or ‘shocking’ in morals or behavior. Historically, flagrant described overt, alarming offenses that could not be ignored, often with legal or moral implications. Over time the sense narrowed to emphasize conspicuousness and brazenness in wrongdoing, preserving the fiery metaphor of flame as a sign of visible, undeniable offense. First known use in English literature appears in the early modern period, aligning with the period’s broad interest in moral judgment and theatrical rhetoric. By the 18th and 19th centuries, flagrant established itself as a strong evaluative term used in law, journalism, and political critique to condemn egregious acts that stood out against accepted norms. The modern sense remains consistent: something flagrantly wrong is indisputably apparent and unacceptable, demanding attention or action.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Flagrant" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Flagrant"
-ant sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Flagrant is pronounced FLAY-gru-nt, with stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈfleɡrənt/. Start with the F sound, then the consonant cluster for 'le' as a light 'le' [l] plus a short schwa leading into a clear 'gr' blend, and end with an unvoiced 'nt'. You’ll want a crisp stop before the final nasal: /t/. Audio practice against: /ˈfleɡrənt/. Listen to native examples to feel the strong initial beat in everyday speech.
Common mistakes: (1) Mixing up the initial 'fl' with an 'fla' as a heavier vowel; keep a quick, crisp /fl/ onset. (2) Slurring the middle 'gr' into a soft /ɡr/ making it /ˈfleɡrənt/ instead of a clean /ˈfleɡrənt/. (3) Ending with a voiced vowel like /-rənt/; keep /-rənt/ with a reduced vowel and a final voiceless /t/. Corrections: practice with a mirror to ensure the /l/ is light and the /ɡr/ cluster is tight, and emphasize the final /t/ without post-nasal schwa.
In US, UK, and AU, the core /ˈfleɡrənt/ remains, but rhoticity influences the vowel quality slightly. US tends to pronounce a tighter /ɹ/ feel before the vowel, UK typically has a slightly more rounded /ɪ/ vs /ə/ in the second syllable, and AU can have a softer vowel in the second syllable. The main variation is in intonation and stress dynamics, not the vowel inventory. All three keep the initial stressed syllable strong and final /nt/ crisp.
The difficulty lies in the 'gr' cluster following the light /l/, requiring precise timing: a quick, almost simultaneous /l/ with a sharp /g/ release into /rənt/. The second syllable features a reduced vowel, which can lead to a 'flə-gra-nt' mispronunciation. Mastery requires producing a clear /l/ without vowel intrusion and keeping the final /t/ voiceless. Listening to native models and practicing with minimal pairs helps cement the pattern.
Is the first syllable ever pronounced with a long pull or diphthong in careful speech? Generally not: the primary vowel is a short /eɡ/ quality, as in /ˈfleɡrənt/. In careful or rapid pronunciation you might hear a very slight lengthening of the /e/ in fast speech, but it remains a short, clipped vowel rather than a true diphthong.
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