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

Surely, this was one of the most infamous exchanges in which a person serving as president of the United States had ever participated.

Read more on Salon

The church has served as the spiritual home of the Jardine family, who were among the infamous Border Reivers and frequently carried out raids over the border between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Read more on BBC

In their place are intravenous agents - most notably propofol, the hypnotic made infamous by Michael Jackson's death but prized in operating theatres for its rapid onset and clean recovery.

Read more on BBC

In 2018 the infamous Beast from the East brought severe wintry conditions to many parts of Europe leading to significant disruption, and its impact lingered well into meteorological spring.

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As far back as the 1930s, during the infamous “Bodyline” tour, English bowlers were accused of sullying the game by aiming balls directly at Australian batsmen.

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.