infamous

[ in-fuh-muhs ]

adjective

1. having an extremely bad reputation:

   an infamous city.

   Synonyms: ill-famed, notorious, disreputable

   Antonyms: reputable

2. deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign; detestable:

   an infamous deed.

   Synonyms: villainous, heinous, base, vile, shocking, wicked, odious, nefarious, scandalous, disgraceful

   Antonyms: admirable, praiseworthy

3. Law.
   1. deprived of certain rights as a citizen, as a consequence of conviction of certain offenses.
   2. of or relating to offenses involving such deprivation.

infamous

/ ˈɪnfəməs /

adjective

1. having a bad reputation; notorious
2. causing or deserving a bad reputation; shocking

   infamous conduct

3. criminal law formerly
   1. (of a person) deprived of certain rights of citizenship on conviction of certain offences
   2. (of a crime or punishment) entailing such deprivation

Derived Forms

• ˈinfamousness, noun
• ˈinfamously, adverb

Other Words From

• infa·mous·ly adverb
• infa·mous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of infamous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin infām(is) ( infamy ) + -ous

Example Sentences

The man behind the infamous Wonka experience in Glasgow has been put on the sex offenders register after bombarding a woman with explicit pictures.

From BBC

McDonald’s ice cream machines have garnered an infamous — and comical — reputation for always being broken.

From Salon

“I was so intrigued how Hugh was going to turn his infamously unsatisfactory character in order to present me with this prize, and he did nothing,” Curtis said.

From Los Angeles Times

The three-parter cobbles together decades of audio recordings of Manson in prison to paint a picture of his life before and after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by his devotees.

From Salon

There were jeers for Ohio's Paul, who wore a diamond spiked ear cover and referenced the infamous title fight where Tyson bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997.

From BBC

Related Words

• disgraceful
• egregious
• hateful
• heinous
• ignominious
• monstrous
• notorious
• outrageous
• scandalous
• shocking
• vicious
• vile

More About Infamous

What does infamous mean?

Infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation.

The word is typically used to describe people, actions, and events. It’s especially used in the context of violent crimes, scandals, and tragedies.

Infamous is often used interchangeably with the word notorious, which most commonly means famous or well-known for a negative reason.

But infamous is also sometimes used in a more general way to describe things, such as behavior, as shameful, shocking, detestable, vile, heinous, or scandalous.

The state of quality of being infamous is infamy.

Example: The infamous bank robber was known for setting fire to the crime scene while making his escape.

Where does infamous come from?

The first records of the word infamous come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin infām(is), meaning “ill-famed” or “of evil repute.” At the root of infamous is the Latin fāma, which means “fame” and is also the basis of that word. The suffix -ous means “possessing” or “full of” and is used to form adjectives.

Like notorious, infamous implies a sense of fame—and not for something good. When a person is labeled as infamous, it usually means that they have done something (usually something very bad) to bring them infamy—an extremely bad reputation. Often, the worse the thing is, the more infamous the person is. The word can also be applied to actions, events, or places where bad things happened.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to infamous?

• infamously (adverb)
• infamousness (noun)
• infamy (noun)

What are some synonyms for infamous?

• notorious
• shameful
• heinous
• scandalous
• detestable
• vile
• shocking

What are some words that share a root or word element with infamous? 

• fame
• famous

What are some words that often get used in discussing infamous?

• bad
• deed
• reputation
• criminal
• crime
• killer
• murder
• scandal

How is infamous used in real life?

Infamous is always used negatively. It can be used to describe a person, action, event, or place. It’s especially used in the context of crimes or other serious wrongdoing.

Just got called by the "IRS" stating I have a warrant out for my arrest due to money laundering, fraud, and drug trafficking. I had no idea I was such an infamous criminal!

— 🎃LUDO🌮 (@LudoDoodle) September 20, 2019

John Ford began a lease on a former church in Washington, DC #OnThisDay December 10th, 1861. Ford wanted to bring theater to DC in the 1860s due to its young, growing demographic. The theater would become infamous in April 1865. https://t.co/C2wsXqDKdf pic.twitter.com/aCXPXCMkQf

— American Battlefield Trust (@Battlefields) December 10, 2019

The New York Jets are infamous for their lowlights. In 2020, they’ve managed to outdo even themselves. https://t.co/CxyRenjGoP

— WSJ Sports (@WSJSports) October 20, 2020

 

Try using infamous!

Is infamous used correctly in the following sentence?

The author became infamous for her extremely controversial novel.