fame

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: public estimation : reputation
b
: popular acclaim : renown
2
archaic : rumor

fame

2 of 2

verb

famed; faming

transitive verb

1
archaic : report, repute
2
: to make famous

Examples of fame in a Sentence

Noun He died at the height of his fame. The book tells the story of her sudden rise to fame. He gained fame as an actor. She went to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune.
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.
Noun
Ray Bourque rose to fame as one of the most dominant defensemen in NHL history, setting league records throughout a 21-season career that garnered a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025 That includes the pitfalls of fame as speculation swirls around a personal life he’s always kept extremely close to the vest. Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Verb
But the type of city varied: ancient sites famed for their historic ruins—such as Luxor in Egypt and Petra in Jordan—feature alongside modern metropolises like Dubai to Doha. Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025 From the beginning, Squid Game has been famed for its exceedingly dark vision of humanity, and the real world outside the show has arguably only grown darker during the five years since the series first went into production. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fame

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fama report, fame; akin to Latin fari to speak — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fame was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fame. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

fame

noun
ˈfām
: the fact or condition of being known to the public : renown
famed
ˈfāmd
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on fame

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