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

• 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

Big Bear is famous for its diverse terrain and powder, and the atmosphere here is decidedly ski town-y, with all the bro-ness and craft breweries that go along with it. —Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025

Karlovy Vary is famous for not being precious about its honorary awards; each year’s trailer features a previous winner trash-talking, misusing or even destroying the event’s distinctive Crystal Globe statuette. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025

The beloved cakes are best enjoyed alongside their famous fingernut cookies. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 5 July 2025

Although it’s popularly practiced by many women, Joey Fatone and Jax Taylor are among the famous men who have proudly spoken about receiving plastic surgery to destigmatize the notion that such operations are acceptable for people of certain genders. —Maria Yagoda, People.com, 5 July 2025

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