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

A California judge ruled that the infamous Kars4Kids jingle misleads donors.

From Los Angeles Times • 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

In the infamous Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murder case, in 1924, investigators had correctly detected similarities between Leopold’s typed school notes and the typed ransom note.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Vocabulary lists containing infamous

The Bill of Rights

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Grade 9, List 5

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!