notorious
Americanadjective
-
widely and unfavorably known.
a notorious gambler.
-
publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.
a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism.
- Synonyms:
- famous, conspicuous, prominent, celebrated, renowned, notable
adjective
-
well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous
-
rare generally known or widely acknowledged
Usage
What does notorious mean? Notorious most commonly means famous or well-known for a negative reason.The word is especially used to describe people who are widely known and viewed unfavorably for their actions, such as notorious criminals. It can also be applied to events, as in a notorious scandal. This sense of notorious is often used interchangeably with the word infamous. Strictly speaking, infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation, while notorious usually implies that a person is both famous and disliked. Still, they usually mean just about the same thing.Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action, not necessarily a bad one. For example, you might be notorious for wearing the same outfit every Friday, or your aunt might be notorious for arriving late to family events.The state or quality of being notorious is notoriety.Example: The island prison known as Alcatraz was known for holding some of America’s most notorious criminals.
Other Word Forms
- notoriety noun
- notoriously adverb
- notoriousness noun
Etymology
Origin of notorious
First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin nōtōrius “well known, public,” from Late Latin nōtōria “a notice, news, intelligence” and nōtōrium “indictment, (criminal) charge,” equivalent to nō(scere) “to get to know” + -tōrius adjective suffix; notify, -tory 1
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.
But the young Tennyson was more famous, indeed notorious, for not publishing.
She was also aware that the highly competitive daytime talk show arena had been a notorious minefield for several top stars, leading to quick failure.
From Los Angeles Times
But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of building regulations.
From Barron's
But there was one thing they all knew about the 18-year-old national champion from Moscow: She was coached by a notorious figure known in Russia as the “Snow Queen.”
The author and TV personality appears throughout, providing commentary on his neighborhood’s most notorious event and leading haunted-house tours of Old Louisville.
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.
