51Թ

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View synonyms for

infamous

[ in-fuh-muhs ]

adjective

  1. having an extremely bad reputation:

    an infamous city.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign; detestable:

    an infamous deed.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  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

/ ˈɪԴəə /

adjective

  1. having a bad reputation; notorious
  2. causing or deserving a bad reputation; shocking

    infamous conduct

  3. criminal law formerly
    1. (of a person) deprived of certain rights of citizenship on conviction of certain offences
    2. (of a crime or punishment) entailing such deprivation
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԴڲdzܲԱ, noun
  • ˈԴڲdzܲ, adverb
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • f·dzܲ· adverb
  • f·dzܲ·Ա noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of infamous1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin Դ峾() ( infamy ) + -ous
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Worse yet, President Richard M. Nixon included Lennon on his infamous enemies list.

From

Who better to help the president’s full-throated embrace of capital punishment than one of America’s most infamous alleged killers?

From

A universal tariff of 20%, or its equivalent, would be a historic hit to the global trading system, on a par with the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariffs nearly a century ago.

From

Stewart Wilson-Turner, whose son Aiden is a sophomore at Pali High, is excited he will be able to get back to in-person learning, but noted the possibility of an infamous L.A. scourge.

From

That unnerving moment was a lesson that has stayed with him, even 30 years after her death— the “Como la Flor” singer was infamously killed by a former employee.

From

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More About Infamous

What doesinfamous 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.

Where doesinfamous come from?

The first records of the word infamous come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin Դ峾(), meaning “ill-famed” or “of evil repute.” At the root of infamous is the Latin fāma, which means “fame” and is also the basis of that word. The suffix -ous means “possessing” or “full of” and is used to form adjectives.

Like notorious, infamous implies a sense of fame—and not for something good. When a person is labeled as infamous, it usually means that they have done something (usually something very bad) to bring them infamy—an extremely bad reputation. Often, the worse the thing is, the more infamous the person is. The word can also be applied to actions, events, or places where bad things happened.

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What are some other forms related to infamous?

  • infamously (adverb)
  • infamousness (noun)
  • infamy (noun)

What are some synonyms for infamous?

What are some words that share a root or word element with infamous?

What are some words that often get used in discussing infamous?

How isinfamous used in real life?

Infamous is always used negatively. It can be used to describe a person, action, event, or place. It’s especially used in the context of crimes or other serious wrongdoing.

Try usinginfamous!

Is infamous used correctly in the following sentence?

The author became infamous for her extremely controversial novel.

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