infamous
Americanadjective
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having an extremely bad reputation.
an infamous city.
- Synonyms:
- notorious, ill-famed, disreputable
- Antonyms:
- reputable
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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.
-
adjective
-
having a bad reputation; notorious
-
causing or deserving a bad reputation; shocking
infamous conduct
-
criminal law
-
(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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Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- infamously adverb
- infamousness noun
Etymology
Origin of infamous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin infām(is) ( infamy ) + -ous
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.
The infamous Mojave Desert power towers will start shutting down next year.
From Los Angeles Times
He referred to one occasion he had spent one or two nights on Epstein's infamous private island, as well as visits to Epstein's New York and New Mexico properties.
From BBC
The 2008 financial crisis represents another infamous example of expanding liabilities without necessary capital.
He was exiled to the archive in the bowels of the Lubyanka, Moscow’s infamous KGB headquarters.
SEOUL—South Korea’s infamously difficult college-entrance exam can open the door to a promising future—but just 3% of students who took it recently landed a top-tier score for English, half of last year’s rate.
Definitions 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.
