infamous

adjective in·fa·mous \ ˈin-fə-məs \

Definition of infamous

1 :having a reputation of the worst kind :notoriously evil

an infamous traitor

2 :causing or bringing infamy :disgraceful

an infamous crime

3 :convicted of an offense bringing infamy

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infamously

adverb

See infamous defined for English-language learners

See infamous defined for kids

Examples of infamous in a Sentence

The most infamous of South America's poisonous snakes are the ringed coral snake and the pit viper. —Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row. —Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost. —Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime
He committed an infamous crime.

Recent Examples of infamous from the Web

Game 1 Sept. 2 vs. Montana State 7:30 p.m. | FS1 The infamous stat is well-known by all Cougars fans: 0-5.

— stefanie loh, The Seattle Times, "Breaking down WSU’s schedule: Can the Cougars finally win a season-opener under Mike Leach?," 29 Aug. 2017
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, DeMario Jackson reflects on the now-infamous Bachelor in Paradise scandal that temporarily shut down production of the show’s fourth season.

— halle kiefer, The Cut, "DeMario Jackson Says Bachelor in Paradise Scandal Was Fueled by Racism," 17 Aug. 2017
Trump’s racist attacks against a Hispanic judge, the leak of the infamous Access Hollywood tape—when even Republican commentators were convinced that the presidential hopeful had destroyed any chance at the White House.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Did Trump Just Sign His Own Political Death Warrant?," 16 Aug. 2017
One is the infamous speech given by alt-right leader Richard Spencer at a conference last year, where The Atlantic recorded attendees giving Nazi salutes.

— rosie gray, The Atlantic, "The Alt-Right’s Rebranding Effort Has Failed," 13 Aug. 2017
Many high-profile defendants have tried to use the defense but failed, including Jack Ruby in Lee Harvey Oswald's fatal shooting, as well as infamous serial killers David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

— christy gutowski, chicagotribune.com, "After 4-year-old's 2010 killing, mother says she's sane, ready for release," 7 Aug. 2017
To borrow an infamous Charlie Weis phrase, the Slicers have a schematic advantage over the rest of the league.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Hutton: Watch Griffith, LaPorte, Jordan Jusevitch and more this fall," 29 July 2017
The loan program became infamous when one of its borrowers, the solar-energy company Solyndra, was unable to repay its loan, but, as a whole, since its inception in 2009, the program has turned a profit.

— michael lewis, vanityfair.com, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 26 July 2017
Laws making divorce easier were accompanied by infamous cases in which husbands tried to have their wives declared insane.

— The Economist, "London’s hot and busy summer of 1858," 22 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of infamous

Middle English, from Latin infamis, from in- + fama fame

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

infamous Synonyms

Synonyms

discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, ignominious, disreputable, louche, notorious, opprobrious, shady, shameful, shoddy, shy, unrespectable

Antonyms

honorable, reputable, respectable

Related Words

bad, criminal, immoral, seamy, sordid, unethical, unsavory, wicked; base, contemptible, despicable, detestable, dirty, low, mean, miserable, vile, wretched; black, evil, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unrighteous, vicious, villainous, wrong; blamable, blameworthy, censurable, inglorious, reprehensible; corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, gamy (or gamey), libertine, loose, perverted, reprobate

Near Antonyms

decent, ethical, good, honest, just, moral, noble, principled, righteous, upright, upstanding; esteemed, prestigious, reputed, respected; authorized, legal, licensed, permissible, permitted; approved, endorsed (also indorsed), sanctioned; clean, correct, decorous, exemplary, proper, seemly; blameless, commendable, creditable, guiltless

INFAMOUS Defined for English Language Learners

infamous

adjective

Definition of infamous for English Language Learners

: well-known for being bad : known for evil acts or crimes
: causing people to think you are bad or evil

INFAMOUS Defined for Kids

infamous

adjective in·fa·mous \ ˈin-fə-məs \

Definition of infamous for Students

1 :having an evil reputation

an infamous murderer

2 :¹evil 1, bad

an infamous crime

—

infamously

adverb

Law Dictionary

infamous

adjective in·fa·mous \ ˈin-fə-məs \

legal Definition of infamous

:of, relating to, or being a crime punishable by imprisonment (as a year or more in a penitentiary) that can lead to loss of rights and privileges upon conviction; also :convicted of such a crime