famous

adjective

fa·​mous ˈfā-məs 

1

a

: widely known

a restaurant famous for its French cuisine

b

: honored for achievement

a famous explorer

2

: excellent, first-rate

famous weather for a walk

famousness noun

Synonyms of famous

• famed
• celebrated
• prominent
• renowned
• notorious
• infamous

Choose the Right Synonym for famous

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide.

famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

Examples of famous in a Sentence

a book about some of the most famous people of the last century

the review gushed that the restaurant offered some truly famous Southern-style cooking

Recent Examples on the Web

Commonly framed and told histories of Indigenous women such as Pocahontas and Sacagawea, who are associated with famous expeditions by white English settlers in North America, are clear examples. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

Aspen, Colorado, long synonymous with luxury skiing, has been attracting the rich and famous – including celebrities and the Royals – to its slopes for decades. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Physicists call such conditions Schrödinger cat states, named after Erwin Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026

And both played for coaches who were experts at the mental game, famous for pushing the right buttons to motivate quarterbacks and everyone around them. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin famosus, from fama fame

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing famous

• world-famous

Rhymes for famous

• amos
• ramus
• shamus
• ignoramus
• mandamus

Kids Definition

famous

adjective

fa·​mous ˈfā-məs 

1

: much talked about : very well-known

famous explorer

2

: excellent

famous weather for a picnic