infamous
[in-fuh-muhs]
- having an extremely bad reputation: an infamous city.
- deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign; detestable: an infamous deed.
- Law.
- deprived of certain rights as a citizen, as a consequence of conviction of certain offenses.
- of or relating to offenses involving such deprivation.
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Origin of infamous
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com1. disreputable, ill-famed, notorious. 2. disgraceful, scandalous; nefarious, odious, wicked, shocking, vile, base, heinous, villainous.
Antonyms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for infamously
Contemporary Examples
I remind Deen that his namesake died in an infamously horrible car crash, so he may want to cool it on texting and driving.
They sang songs—including, infamously, Wild Thing—and catcalled at a female detective.
Weddings, birthdays and other celebrations are infamously difficult for those watching what they eat.
She infamously replaced the word “divorce” with her self-proclaimed term “conscious uncoupling.”
In fact he was there at that party that night in 1960 when Mailer infamously stabbed his then-wife, Adele.
Historical Examples
He has treated her infamously; that is why she will not live with him and does not speak of him.
Whispering SmithFrank H. Spearman
How cruel, how infamously unfeeling Ernest thought he had been.
The Way of All FleshSamuel Butler
I could not contain myself at seeing a lady so infamously insulted.
ValerieFrederick Marryat
He has treated me infamously; I will not bother you with that now.
DarielR. D. Blackmore
"She was infamously poisoned last evening," replied the abbe, sadly.
The Honor of the NameEmile Gaboriau
infamous
- having a bad reputation; notorious
- causing or deserving a bad reputation; shockinginfamous conduct
- criminal law (formerly)
- (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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for infamously
infamous
adj.
late 14c., from Medieval Latin infamosus, from Latin in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + famosus "celebrated" (see famous). Meaning influenced by Latin infamis "of ill fame" (see infamy). As a legal term, "disqualified from certain rights of citizens in consequence of conviction of certain crimes" (late 14c.). Related: Infamously.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper