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

Other Words from infamous Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about infamous

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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

To consider that Nigeria, infamous for anti-vaxx campaigns leading to polio outbreaks, has any lessons for Americans may be shocking. — Shobana Shankar, Quartz Africa, "What the United States could learn from Nigeria about taking on anti-vaxxers," 7 June 2019 Despite an infamous lack of signings, Spurs enjoyed a successful campaign, reaching the Champions League final, as well as safely qualifying for next season's competition with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. — SI.com, "Giovani Lo Celso: 5 Things to Know About Tottenham Transfer Target & Real Betis Star," 5 June 2019 Thousands of protesters have also been marching against the President — even parading with the infamous ‘Baby Trump’ balloon — but none successfully completed as sly a sit-in as Larry. — Jasmine Aguilera, Time, "10 Downing Street's Larry the Cat Disrupts President Trump's U.K. Visit by Sitting Under His Limo," 4 June 2019 In perhaps the most infamous case, Harambe, a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, was fatally shot in 2016 to save the life of a toddler who crawled past a barrier and fell into the animal's enclosure. — al.com, "Otter dies after he is fed by Tennessee park visitors," 3 June 2019 But his showman’s approach to the Oscars, and specifically to the host-free musical opening number, made the 1989 ceremony infamous for all the wrong reasons. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why the 2019 Oscars Don't Have a Host—And the Disaster That Ensued Last Time It Happened," 24 Feb. 2019 Point of Interest Connecticut's oldest and tallest lighthouse, New London Harbor Light, is located right nearby and the infamous, red lighthouse, New London Ledge Light, is visible from the beach. — Sarah Wesley Lemire, courant.com, "Five Connecticut Shoreline Destinations: All You Need To Know," 15 May 2018 In one of the book's most engrossing chapters, Lee travels to the Michigan city of Dearborn, famous nationally (and infamous among hard-right circles) as a place heavily settled by immigrants from the Middle East. — James Norton, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Buttermilk Graffiti' is a road trip in search of contemporary American cuisine," 30 Apr. 2018 In the vid, Gabriel shares what was going down behind the scenes of that now infamous tweet. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Gabriel Zamora Publicly Denounces Manny MUA and Officially Takes Jeffree Star's Side in the Feud," 23 Aug. 2018

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.

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More Definitions for infamous

infamous

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of infamous

: well-known for being bad : known for evil acts or crimes

: causing people to think you are bad or evil

See the full definition for infamous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

infamous

adjective

in·fa·mous | \ ˈin-fə-məs

Kids Definition of infamous

1 : having an evil reputation an infamous murderer

2 : evil entry 1 sense 1, bad an infamous crime

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