infamy

noun

in·​fa·​my ˈin-fə-mē 

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

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

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

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Using infamy and persecution, Alexandra’s method becomes a new version of hostage videos. —Armond White, National Review, 25 Oct. 2023

In this world, though, the voices behind those nameless, chattering avatars get their 15 minutes of internet infamy. —WIRED, 1 Nov. 2023

His name lives in infamy in Arlington, Texas, where the World Series starts Friday. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023

Last year, a yard scene featuring many fake dismembered body parts brought TikTok fame and infamy to a Texas man. —WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023

The raid would live in infamy as the Night of the Gliders. —Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2023

But Van Houten’s crimes, seared into American infamy, made her efforts to be paroled difficult. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2023

The season runs until the end of September, leaving the Valley with one full month left to not be left in infamy. —Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 25 Aug. 2023

Wednesday is a reminder of a day that will live in infamy in the sports department of the Los Angeles Times. —Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

infamy

noun

in·​fa·​my ˈin-fə-mē 

plural infamies

1

: an evil reputation

2

a

: an infamous act

b

: the state of being infamous