infamy

noun

in·​fa·​my ˈin-fə-mē How to pronounce infamy (audio)
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.

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 His Survivor infamy earned him appearances on several other reality shows. Dustin Nelson, EW.com, 2 Oct. 2023 Surely, this day will go down in infamy in the Pacific Northwest. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 At the center of blue eye shadow’s rise to infamy: deception. Emily Leibert, Allure, 25 Jan. 2024 When his brother scored a touchdown, Jason took off his shirt in a moment that surely will live in NFL infamy. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2024 Despite his attempts to live a private life, Lionel was followed by his son's infamy until the end of his life. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2023 But as is often the case in American history, the federal government took control of the sacred land to turn it into one of the country’s first national parks — one that would live in polarizing infamy for decades before getting recommissioned to better honor its Indigenous roots. Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023 Letourneau and Fualaau seemed more interested in supporting their kids than seeking fame (or cementing infamy). E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2023 Tabloid infamy followed as Gracie was convicted of raping Joe, bore his baby in prison and, after serving a yearslong sentence, married him and had two more children. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infamy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infamy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near infamy

Cite this Entry

“Infamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infamy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

infamy

noun
in·​fa·​my ˈin-fə-mē How to pronounce infamy (audio)
plural infamies
1
: an evil reputation
2
a
: an infamous act
b
: the state of being infamous

More from Merriam-Webster on infamy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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