infamy

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noun in·fa·my \ ˈin-fə-mē \

Definition of infamy

plural infamies

1 :evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal, shocking, or brutal

2 a :an extreme and publicly known criminal or evil act

b :the state of being infamous

See infamy defined for English-language learners

See infamy defined for kids

Examples of infamy in a Sentence

He never escaped the infamy his crimes had earned him.
despite her eventual pardons, she could never completely free herself of the infamy of being named a war criminal

Recent Examples of infamy from the Web

His tweet was promptly screen-captured, obviously, to live on in infamy.

— ashley edwards walker, Glamour, "It Took Trump Three Tweets to Spell "Heal" Right, and the Internet Lost It," 20 Aug. 2017
But fame, or infamy, is only part of the Jose Baez brand.

— alex french, Esquire, "The Man Who Knows Aaron Hernandez's Secrets," 15 Aug. 2017
Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde The life and times and crimes of the Depression Era gangsters who achieved infamy for a string of robberies and murders across the United States provided the perfect source material for such a film.

— john petkovic, cleveland.com, "'Bonnie and Clyde' at 50: Ultraviolent gangster film changed American cinema (photos, videos)," 13 Aug. 2017
This may not all be playing out exactly as Scaramucci intended, but the residual fame is surely a perk for a guy who’s spent so much time seeking fame and/or infamy.

— hilary weaver, Vanities, "Anthony Scaramucci Is Still Enjoying His 15 Minutes of Fame," 8 Aug. 2017
This may not all be playing out exactly as Scaramucci intended, but the residual fame is surely a perk for a guy who’s spent so much time seeking fame and/or infamy.

— hilary weaver, vanityfair.com, "Anthony Scaramucci Is Still Enjoying His 15 Minutes of Fame," 8 Aug. 2017
The elephant in any room that Simpson enters is his unique and pervasive infamy, which has nothing to do with memorabilia.

— michael mccann, PEOPLE.com, "O.J. Simpson Is Granted Parole: What’s Next for the Notorious Former NFL Star?," 20 July 2017
On Thursday, a Nevada parole board will make its recommendation, potentially opening a new chapter in a life that already includes a legacy of fame, fortune and infamy.

— stephanie becker, CNN, "O.J. Simpson's rise and fall, from football star to prisoner," 20 July 2017
In the litany of specialty matches that have graced WWE, few gained the infamy of the Punjabi Prison.

— aaron oster, baltimoresun.com, "WWE announces the return of the Punjabi Prison," 28 June 2017

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

First Known Use of infamy

15th century

infamy Synonyms

Synonyms

discredit, disesteem, dishonor, disrepute, ignominy, disgrace, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, reproach, shame

Antonyms

esteem, honor, respect

Related Words

scandal; contempt, despite, disdain, scorn; deprecation, disapprobation, disapproval, disfavor; abasement, debasement, debasing, degradation, dust, humbling, humiliation; blot, brand, shadow, slur, smirch, spot, stain, stigma, taint

Near Antonyms

admiration, appreciation, estimation, regard; awe, fear, reverence; fame, glory, renown, repute

Synonym Discussion of infamy

disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, infamy, ignominy mean the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach. disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

- sent home in disgrace

dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

- preferred death to life with dishonor

disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

- a once proud name fallen into disrepute

infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

- a day that lives in infamy

ignominy stresses humiliation.

- the ignominy of being arrested

INFAMY Defined for English Language Learners

infamy

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noun

Definition of infamy for English Language Learners

: the condition of being known for having done bad things or for being evil
: an evil or terrible act

INFAMY Defined for Kids

infamy

play

noun in·fa·my \ ˈin-fə-mē \

Definition of infamy for Students

plural infamies

1 :an evil reputation

He earned infamy for his crimes.

2 :an evil or terrible act

The people suffered the infamies of their ruler.

Learn More about infamy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for infamy Spanish Central: Translation of infamy Nglish: Translation of infamy for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about infamy

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INFAMY Defined for English Language Learners

infamy

Definition of infamy for English Language Learners

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