infamous

[in-fuh-muhs] / ˈɪn fə məs /

ADJECTIVE

shameful, bad in reputation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

disgraceful egregious hateful heinous ignominious monstrous notorious outrageous scandalous shocking vicious vile

WEAK

abominable atrocious base contemptible corrupt degenerate despicable detestable dishonorable disreputable evil flagitious foul ill-famed iniquitous loathsome miscreant nefarious odious offensive opprobrious perverse questionable rotten scurvy shady sorry unhealthy villainous wicked

Antonyms

STRONGEST

friendly gentle good kind little magnificent nice pleasant wonderful

WEAK

dignified glorious innocent moral perfect principled pure respectable righteous virtuous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is one of the most infamous criminals in modern European history.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

It appears the nearly 80-year-old president confused the infamous Prohibition agent with Kevin Costner’s portrayal of Ness in the 1987 film “The Untouchables.”

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

UFC chief and Trump ally Dana White has cited Washington's infamous insect population as a potential problem for the open-air fights.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Wind-driven fires are infamous for overwhelming first responders because of the speed and scale of the fire spread.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Decades later, Lkossan academics still occasionally spoke of old Nkrumah, musing over his infamous demise and disappearance.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Vocabulary lists containing infamous

The Bill of Rights

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"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem

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Grade 9, List 5

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