infamous

[in-fuh-muhs]

adjective

1. having an extremely bad reputation.

   an infamous city.

   Synonyms: notorious, ill-famed, 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

   1. (of a person) deprived of certain rights of citizenship on conviction of certain offences

   2. (of a crime or punishment) entailing such deprivation

Other Word Forms

• infamously adverb
• infamousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of infamous¹

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

Example Sentences

In another viral deepfake video he grills and eats the game's infamous Pikachu mascot.

Read more on BBC

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

Read more on BBC

For years, the infamous fishing trip involving Bryn and his nephew Jason has been wrapped in secrecy and speculation.

Read more on BBC

Roberts, their manager for the past 10 seasons, has become famous—or infamous—for treating his rotation like a set of fine china, meant to be admired but rarely put to any meaningful use.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The latest and most dramatic example is “Evil Unbound,” a big-budget film about an infamous unit of the Japanese Imperial Army that conducted germ warfare and chemical experiments on live humans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.