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

• infamousness noun
• infamously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of infamous¹

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

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.