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
adverbExplore Merriam-Webster
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
-
Laws making divorce easier were accompanied by infamous cases in which husbands tried to have their wives declared insane.
-
The list of suspects included an infamous Johnson County serial killer convicted of murdering three other young women within weeks of when Fisher, 18, and Brandolese, 21, were killed.
-
Does Adam make fun of the headbands Leighton made infamous?
-
But how inconvenient a truth that last April, his government also approved export permits as part of a multi-billion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a country infamous for their repressive crackdowns on the LGBTQ community.
-
The gray sweats have become an infamous part of Leftovers lore, and via his Instagram, Lindelof got in on the fun.
-
Judge gathers panel of 130 prosecutive jurors for fraud case At least 12 potential jurors excused for bias against Shkreli Martin Shkreli is infamous.
-
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Trump administration opposes a bid to use unclaimed money from a legal settlement over the government’s infamous Tuskegee syphilis study to fund a museum honoring victims of the research project.
-
Zayn Malik may be a beloved pop star and one half of the infamous ZiGi, but his notoriety hasn't protected him from seeming Islamophobia.
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
-
: well-known for being bad : known for evil acts or crimes
-
: 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
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up infamous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!