famous

adjective

fa·mous | \ ˈfā-məs

Definition of famous

1a : 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

Other Words from famous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about famous

Keep scrolling for more

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 some truly famous Southern-style cooking

Recent Examples on the Web

Here are the numbers of pardons by recent presidents, and some of the more famous—or infamous—examples. — Sadie Gurman, WSJ, "Barr’s Push for Iran-Contra Pardons Likely to Emerge in Confirmation Hearing," 28 Dec. 2018 For an example of what Manne was talking about, look no further than a now-famous rant delivered by Sen. Lindsey Graham during his time allotted to questioning Kavanaugh during the hearing. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "The 9 thinkers who made sense of 2018’s chaos," 27 Dec. 2018 Today, many famous displays stand tall around the world, including the Pope’s Christmas Tree in Vatican City, the Floating Christmas Tree in Brazil, and the Murano Christmas Tree in Italy. — Nicol Natale, Woman's Day, "Why Do We Have Christmas Trees?," 15 Nov. 2018 Just Imagine, reimagining some of its most-famous characters as Lee would have written them. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "Farewell to Stan Lee, a Marvel Comics Legend," 12 Nov. 2018 Abel is meeting Bella's family—and not just like, her famous, fellow model sister Gigi Hadid, but the extended fam. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Bella Hadid Introduced The Weeknd to Some of Her Extended Family at His Concert in Abu Dhabi," 25 Nov. 2018 The pop icon works like she's made those famous 2013 lyrics her personal ethos. — Cara Kelly, USA TODAY, "Britney Spears is back on tour and you better believe she's here to work," 13 July 2018 Berrada has been known to own and tool around in pricey cars, such as a Ferrari, Bentley, BMW or Aston Martin — the car made famous in James Bond movies. — Kevin Crowe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'He'll evict you in a minute.' Landlord quietly becomes a force in Milwaukee rental business...and eviction court," 13 July 2018 Some of Warhol’s shots, particularly those featuring famous friends at clubs and social hotspots, mimic the invasive photos seen in celebrity tabloids. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Thousands of Unseen Photos Featuring Andy Warhol and Celebrity Pals to Be Digitized," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'famous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.