Meaning & use

infamous

adjective·Academic

Well known for a bad quality or deed; having a notorious or scandalous reputation.

See it in a sentence

The city's infamous prison once held some of the country's most dangerous criminals.

He became infamous overnight after the video of his outburst went viral.

A note on using this word

"Infamous" always carries a negative sense, unlike "famous"; do not confuse the two despite their similar spelling.

Words with a similar meaning

notoriousdisreputable

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

reputableesteemed

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “infamous”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.