English Explanatory Dictionary

infamous

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having a bad reputation; disreputable; notorious; unpleasant or evil; widely known, especially for something scornful.
  2. Causing infamy; disgraceful.
  3. Subject to a judicial punishment depriving (the person) of certain rights (e.g. the rights to hold public office, exercise the franchise, receive a public pension, serve on a jury, or give testimony in a court of law).
  4. Punishable by death or imprisonment.

Pronunciation

ĭnʹfə-məs /ˈɪn.fə.məs/ en-us-infamous.ogg /ɪnˈfe.məs/

Word forms

infamous more infamous most infamous

Etymology

From Middle English enfamouse, in-fames, infamous, from Medieval Latin īnfāmōsus, from Latin īnfāmis; by surface analysis, in- + famous. Displaced native Old English unhlīsful.

Synonyms

ill-famed nefarious nithing disreputable infamous niddering nidering notorious

Derived words

infamously infamousness infamy
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