infamous

adjective

in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs How to pronounce infamous (audio)
1
: having a reputation of the worst kind : notoriously evil
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing infamy : disgraceful
an infamous crime
3
: convicted of an offense bringing infamy
infamously adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is being infamous always a bad thing?

Infamous has a small range of meanings, and none of them are ones that most people would care to be described with. It may mean "notoriously evil," "disgraceful," or "convicted of an offense bringing infamy" (infamy is "evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal, shocking, or brutal").

Is infamous the opposite of famous?

Infamous is not the opposite of famous. It does not mean "not famous" or "exceptionally famous." It means "having a reputation of the worst kind." Although the in- prefix often indicates negation or gives a meaning opposite to the word it is attached to, it occasionally will have other meanings, such as "inward" and "thoroughly."

What is the difference between unfamous and infamous?

Although it would appear that both of these words are created by adding a similar prefix to the word famous, they actually have quite different meanings. Infamous means "notoriously evil," whereas unfamous simply means "not famous." Infamous is by far the more commonly-used of the two.

Examples of infamous in a Sentence

The most infamous of South America's poisonous snakes are the ringed coral snake and the pit viper. Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row. Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost. Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime He committed an infamous crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The end of the film sees a gravestone, as the infamous assassin is laid to rest next to his wife. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025 There are even a few big name drummers set to take the stage — and hopefully skirt the infamous Spinal Tap drummer curse — including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025 The redshirt senior is infamous for her on-court trash talk among the Huskies’ practice players, but Bueckers rarely let that side of herself show during the regular season. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025 The big picture: The team has made the playoffs just twice in the past 22 seasons and its front office is infamous for trading away its star players. Martin Vassolo, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infamous

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin infamis, from in- + fama fame

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infamous was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Infamous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infamous. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

infamous

adjective
in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs How to pronounce infamous (audio)
1
: having an evil reputation
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing an evil reputation : detestable
an infamous crime
infamously adverb

Legal Definition

infamous

adjective
in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs How to pronounce infamous (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a crime punishable by imprisonment (as a year or more in a penitentiary) that can lead to loss of rights and privileges upon conviction
also : convicted of such a crime

More from Merriam-Webster on infamous

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