infamy
Americannoun
plural
infamies-
extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act.
a time that will live in infamy.
- Synonyms:
- obloquy, disrepute, shame, opprobrium, odium
-
infamous character or conduct.
-
an infamous act or circumstance.
-
Law. loss of rights, incurred by conviction of an infamous offense.
noun
-
the state or condition of being infamous
-
an infamous act or event
Usage
What does infamy mean? Infamy is the state of having a bad or evil reputation—the state of being infamous.The adjective infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation. It’s typically used to describe people, actions, and events. It’s especially used in the context of violent crimes, scandals, and tragedies.Infamous is also sometimes used in a more general way to describe things, such as behavior, as shocking, detestable, vile, heinous, or scandalous.Infamy can mean infamous behavior, or it can mean the condemnation resulting from such behavior. Sometimes, it means about the same thing as shame or disgrace.Infamy is often used interchangeably with the word notoriety, which is the state or quality of being notorious—famous or well-known for a negative reason. But while notoriety can be used in a more neutral way to mean about the same thing as fame, infamy is always used negatively and usually involves a bad reputation.Example: Their heinous crimes will live in infamy.
Related Words
See disgrace.
Etymology
Origin of infamy
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English infamye, from Latin infāmia, equivalent to infām(is) “ill-famed” ( in- in- 3 + fām(a) fame + -is adjective suffix) + -ia -y 3
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.
It was a boost from the blog for Tosh’s show that launched Black’s video to infamy.
From Salon
“This is also a film about infamy, because he’s being persecuted so unfairly. He gets killed, and then they killed him again because they killed his reputation,” Moura notes.
From Los Angeles Times
Able to pass for decades younger, he now basks in life on the other side of infamy.
From Los Angeles Times
"For most lone actor terrorists, infamy is very often what they want to gain from what they're doing," he said.
From BBC
Barely a week ago, they were cheekily leaning into their infamy like a Bond nemesis.
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.
