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
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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.
A now infamous 2025 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, which found that 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail to produce a measurable financial impact, is partly to blame.
The alpine country Freeman disappeared into is the same one that harboured Ned Kelly and his infamous gang of bushrangers in the 1870s.
From BBC
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who also appeared in photos shared by the Department of Justice, said that he regretted knowing Epstein and denied ever traveling to Epstein’s infamous retreat in the U.S.
From Salon
The Devil’s Slide area was for many decades an infamous stretch of Highway 1 until officials rerouted the roadway farther inland with a tunnel, converting the old road into a popular paved trail.
From Los Angeles Times
Russian advances in some of its major offensives are slower than the infamous Battle of the Somme in World War I, according to CSIS.
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.
