\ ˈfām
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Definition of fame
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: public estimation : reputation
b
: popular acclaim : renown
fame
verb
famed; faming
Definition of fame (Entry 2 of 2)
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The lifespan of most trends is about a season or two, but the puff-sleeve dress has managed to turn its 15 minutes of fame into a full-feature film—with several sequels in the works.
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Alexis Bennett, Vogue, "Once a Trend, Now a Classic, Puff-Sleeve Dresses Are Perfect for Spring," 31 Mar. 2021
The book documents the 63-year-old actress’s life, from growing up in Pennsylvania Amish country to achieving international fame for her roles in films like Casino and Basic Instinct.
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Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, "9 Times Sharon Stone Looked Death in the Eyes," 30 Mar. 2021
Other new hall-of-fame honorees include nWo, an abbreviation for wrestling group New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman), The Bella Twins, Kane, Rob Van Dam, The British Bulldog, JBL.
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Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "William Shatner joins WWE Hall of Fame: 'I should have gone into wrestling as Captain Kirk'," 30 Mar. 2021
Guana got a taste of fame in 1958, when Pat Jackson made his film Virgin Island, starring Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes on the island.
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Heidi Mitchell, Travel + Leisure, "Guana Island, the Jewel of the British Virgin Islands, Promises True Solitude," 29 Mar. 2021
The plan may include a year-round digital presence, potentially with videos full of information about cars at the event, or a ‘digital hall of fame,’ Hagerty said.
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Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Concours d’Elegance under new management, with plans for blockbuster summer show," 27 Mar. 2021
In Brazil, two long-gone and much-denounced Austrian economists are experiencing a curious swell of fame.
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Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, "Why have two long-dead Austrian economists become cult figures in Brazil?," 24 Mar. 2021
But the band's path hasn't always been easy to maneuver, even after achieving global fame with their 2003 debut album Fallen.
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Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, "Voice Notes: How Evanescence's Amy Lee brought her powerful vocals to life," 23 Mar. 2021
Mallon scored over 1,000 points at Mt. Hebron, leading to her entry into both her alma mater and Howard County’s sports halls of fame..
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Kyle J. Andrews, baltimoresun.com, "Former Seton Keough and Mt. Hebron standouts boost Drexel into NCAA tourney," 22 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Dobrik first rose to fame on the now-defunct short-video sharing app Vine, but has since ascended the Internet influencer ranks on YouTube and TikTok.
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Rachel Sandler, Forbes, "Companies Are Dropping YouTuber David Dobrik Amid ‘Vlog Squad’ Rape Allegations," 19 Mar. 2021
Brittany Murphy rose to fame in the ’90s, serving up unforgettable, poignant, and comedic performances in Clueless; Girl, Interrupted; 8 Mile; Uptown Girls, and more.
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Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "A Brittany Murphy Documentary Series Is Coming to HBO Max," 18 Mar. 2021
The actress, who rose to fame as a preteen in movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, opened up in an essay about the pitfalls and dangers of child stardom and the general treatment of young female stars by the media and Hollywood.
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Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "Mara Wilson calls out 'terrifying' treatment of Britney Spears in essay on child stardom," 23 Feb. 2021
In the aftermath of FX-Hulu’s documentary Framing Britney Spears from The New York Times, the public is reevaluating Justin Timberlake’s ascent to fame, and the reality is crystal clear.
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Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "Justin Timberlake Made A Career At The Expense Of Women," 12 Feb. 2021
Wilson, Ross and Ballard rose to fame as a trio, but the group started with four women.
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NBC News, "Mary Wilson, founding member of The Supremes, dies at 76," 9 Feb. 2021
The show’s breakout star is Camille Cottin, the impossibly soignée middle-aged actress who plays Andréa Martel, and who somewhat improbably first rose to fame as the presenter of a prank show whose name, Connasse, is an expletive.
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Philippa Snow, The New Republic, "The Very Serious Appeal of Call My Agent," 25 Jan. 2021
Apodaca skyrocketed to fame in September when his 22-second creation took over TikTok.
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Diti Kohli, BostonGlobe.com, "Ocean Spray-loving TikTok star reportedly enlisted for Joe Biden’s inauguration parade," 19 Jan. 2021
The now-28-year-old star rose to fame in 2011 after winning second place on Oxygen’s The Glee Project.
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Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "'Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist' Fans Are So Emotional Over Alex Newell’s Sam Smith Cover," 13 Jan. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Last Updated
5 Apr 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Fame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fame. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.
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More Definitions for fame
fame
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fame
: the condition of being known or recognized by many people
See the full definition for fame in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fame
noun
\ ˈfām
\
\
Kids Definition of fame
: the fact or condition of being known or recognized by many people
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