infamous

adjective

in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs 

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

infamously adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is being infamous always a bad thing?

Infamous has a small range of meanings, and none of them are ones that most people would care to be described with. It may mean "notoriously evil," "disgraceful," or "convicted of an offense bringing infamy" (infamy is "evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal, shocking, or brutal").

Is infamous the opposite of famous?

Infamous is not the opposite of famous. It does not mean "not famous" or "exceptionally famous." It means "having a reputation of the worst kind." Although the in- prefix often indicates negation or gives a meaning opposite to the word it is attached to, it occasionally will have other meanings, such as "inward" and "thoroughly."

What is the difference between unfamous and infamous?

Although it would appear that both of these words are created by adding a similar prefix to the word famous, they actually have quite different meanings. Infamous means "notoriously evil," whereas unfamous simply means "not famous." Infamous is by far the more commonly-used of the two.

Synonyms

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

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 on the Web

Returning to Churchill after his infamous two-year-plus-one-year Churchill ban dating from Medina Spirit’s 2021 betamethasone disqualification, Baffert was buoyant about the work. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Suggestions that Marseille’s players had refused to train inevitably resurrected memories of the infamous training-ground strike at the South African resort of Knysna that contributed to the France national team’s spectacular derailment at the 2010 World Cup. —Tom Williams, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

The martial arts action thriller, set in the infamous Kowloon Walled City in 1980s Hong Kong, also scored in the technical categories, winning best editing, best cinematography, best art direction, best costume & make-up design, best sound design, best visual effects and best action choreography. —Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025

The playful, hands-on approach turned the tasting into an interactive game, allowing guests to challenge their spice tolerance against Buldak’s infamous heat. —William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

infamous

adjective

in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs 

1

: having an evil reputation

an infamous traitor

2

: causing or bringing an evil reputation : detestable

an infamous crime

infamously adverb

Legal Definition

infamous

adjective

in·​fa·​mous ˈin-fə-məs 

: 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