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
infamously
adverbIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
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The Maine Department of Motor Vehicles confirms someone claimed COVFEFE for a personalized license plate just hours after the Republican president’s now-infamous tweet at 12:06 a.m. Wednesday.
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Among the 44 tropical storms that occurred during those years, a few were infamous: Audrey (1957), Camille (1969), David (1979) and Frederic (1979).
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Those announcements turned into what’s now an infamous gaffe, as the carrier group was instead next sighted by the media going the opposite way.
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The regime's brutality is legendary, and ISIS militants are infamous for beheadings, crucifixions, and other horrific methods of execution.
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In early February, the three-member Cook County Electoral Board sustained the objection on the grounds that Barnett's past conviction for an infamous crime prohibited him from holding office, and ordered his name be removed from the ballot.
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Several of you pointed to the infamous dinner when former President George H. W. Bush vomited on the lap of Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, and fainted.
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Although Velsicol exported its infamous contamination to nearly every refrigerator in Michigan, the company also did a number on the community that supplied its workforce.
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On April 11, the kitchen will roll out a special ‘retrospective menu,’ serving some of the most famous dishes the award-winning restaurant has served over the 11 years since its inception (expect the infamous pig’s bladder, then).
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
INFAMOUS Defined for English Language Learners
infamous
playDefinition of infamous for English Language Learners
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: well-known for being bad : known for evil acts or crimes
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: causing people to think you are bad or evil
INFAMOUS Defined for Kids
Law Dictionary
infamous
playLegal 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
Learn More about infamous
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for infamous Spanish Central: Translation of infamous Nglish: Translation of infamous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of infamous for Arabic speakers
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