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infamous
[ in-fuh-muhs ]
adjective
- having an extremely bad reputation:
an infamous city.
Synonyms: ill-famed, notorious, disreputable
Antonyms: reputable
- 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
- Law.
- deprived of certain rights as a citizen, as a consequence of conviction of certain offenses.
- of or relating to offenses involving such deprivation.
infamous
/ ˈɪnfəməs /
adjective
- having a bad reputation; notorious
- causing or deserving a bad reputation; shocking
infamous conduct
- criminal law formerly
- (of a person) deprived of certain rights of citizenship on conviction of certain offences
- (of a crime or punishment) entailing such deprivation
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Derived Forms
- ˈinfamousness, noun
- ˈinfamously, adverb
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Other Words From
- infa·mous·ly adverb
- infa·mous·ness noun
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Word History and Origins
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Example Sentences
The infamous Cutter pharmaceutical disaster of 1955 refers to the tragedy that occurred when companies rushed to produce the polio vaccines developed by Jonas Salk.
Though we tried to remember to take it out of the water and secure it to the top of the boat during the big rapids, it may or may not have taken a ride down the infamous Crystal while clipped to the outside of the rig.
It also mentions various cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes, such as the infamous OneCoin.
I think the most infamous example of this is in 2018 when Mark Zuckerberg testified to the Senate after the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
One particularly infamous hostile mob is a creeper, a dark green, frowning humanoid with a passion for blowing up.
The main effort in the attack was carried out by the infamous Waffen SS 6th Panzer Army.
Do they not recall the appalling ramifications of the infamous moment when Michelle Obama put her arm around the Queen in 2009?
A notably large Irish contingent took part in the infamous draft riots because they did not want to compete for jobs with blacks.
The most infamous case was that of Kanae Kijima, a onetime housekeeper who became a highly paid mistress.
The reality star bared her infamous behind on the cover of Paper magazine, and the web went wild.
For twenty years you hold an innocent and virtuous woman under an infamous suspicion.
The Jacobins now made a direct and infamous attempt to turn the rage of the populace against Madame Roland.
Those letters incriminate you to the full in this infamous matter here at Condillac.
He condoned the infamous conduct of the police officer Contenson.
Voltaire exerted himself as warmly against this infamous act, as he had against the execution of Calas.
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Related Words
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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.
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What are some other forms related to infamous?
- infamously (adverb)
- infamousness (noun)
- infamy (noun)
What are some synonyms for infamous?
What are some words that share a root or word element with infamous?
What are some words that often get used in discussing infamous?
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.
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