Word
infamous
Meanings
Widely known for a bad action, crime, scandal, or harmful behavior.
Notorious or strongly disliked because of a very bad quality or experience.
Definition
Known widely for something bad or shameful.
If someone or something is infamous, many people know about them for a negative reason. It suggests a strong, lasting reputation connected to wrongdoing, scandal, or harm. It is stronger than “famous” and almost always negative in tone.
Examples
- The nightclub became infamous after repeated fights spilled onto the street.
- She is infamous for leaking confidential information to the press.
- He avoided that route because it is infamous for aggressive drivers at rush hour.
- They toured the old fortress, infamous for the cruelty once carried out inside its walls.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "infamous" with "famous" and use it for positive achievements, but "infamous" is negative.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.