fame
Americannoun
-
widespread reputation, especially of a favorable character; renown; public eminence.
to seek fame as an opera singer.
-
common estimation or opinion generally held of a person or thing; reputation.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the state of being widely known or recognized; renown; celebrity
-
archaic rumour or public report
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fame
1175–1225; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin fāma talk, public opinion, repute, akin to fārī to speak
Explanation
Fame is what you have if you're a celebrity: a lot of people know who you are. A musician's fame might mean she wears sunglasses and a baseball cap to disguise herself when she's in public. Movie stars, rock stars, well-known public figures — these are all people who have achieved some amount of fame. You may have a kind of fame in a much smaller sphere: "She won every spelling bee in the state, which gave her some fame at her school." Fame is an Old French word that means "reputation or renown," from the Latin fama, "rumor, reputation, or renown," and also "ill-fame" or "scandal."
Vocabulary lists containing fame
Academy Awards, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Mysteries of the Ancient Past"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The New Colossus"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He was the first stand-up comedian to convert an online fan base into massive fame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, as he talked with The Times, now older and sober, he is so much better equipped to handle fame and all its trappings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Woods, a model and TV personality, first rose to fame on “Keeping up With the Kardashians.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
His rags-to-riches story, from poverty in a Welsh mining town to Hollywood fame, is one that continues to inspire.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
In spite of his fame as a medical man, Gilbert made his mark on science in physics, through his thorough investigation of the nature of magnetism.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
The move however fueled speculation that Trump could be preparing further work on the West Wing, after several hints that he could move reporters out of the famed briefing room located near the Oval.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The 8,400-square-foot home was designed in 1949 by John “Jack” Elgin Woolf, a famed midcentury-era architect of the Hollywood stars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
But despite our lack of a reservation, the maître d’, Victoria Dearing, seated us at a two-top anyway for the supper menu, which included classic steak frites and their famed Black Label Burger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Of course, famed director and Knicks fan fixture Spike Lee couldn’t stay out of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
According to most accounts, he was born in the sixth century BC on Samos, a Greek island off the coast of Turkey famed lor a temple to Hera and for really good wine.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
In the 1930s, drought and bad faming methods destroyed 100 million acres of farmland around Oklahoma and forced families to leave, many for California.
From Time ● Apr. 10, 2015
In Strype's edition, 1720, he says, concerning this gate, "Leaving out the fable thereof faming it to be builded by King Belin, a Briton, long before the incarnation of Christ."
From Notes and Queries, Number 11, January 12, 1850 by Various
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
