infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs 
1
: having a reputation of the worst kind : notoriously evil
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing infamy : disgraceful
an infamous crime
3
: convicted of an offense bringing infamy
infamously
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of infamous in a Sentence
The most infamous of South America's poisonous snakes are the ringed coral snake and the pit viper.
—
Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row.
—Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost.
—Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime
He committed an infamous crime.
Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row.
—Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost.
—Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime
He committed an infamous crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
The necklace has been worn at two British coronations and may contain diamonds from the infamous necklace at the heart of a scandal that tainted the reputation of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Manson died in 2017 while serving a commuted death sentence for masterminding an infamous spate of murders in Los Angeles in 1969.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
While comparing any modern political figure to those of this era is fraught, Weimar Germany remains one of modern history's most infamous examples of the collapse of a democracy and the rise of authoritarianism.
—Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
The most infamous of these had occurred in 2000, when several networks prematurely called Florida for Al Gore, only to retract the call and later declare George W. Bush the winner, as the state plunged into a protracted recount.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for infamous 
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Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Manson died in 2017 while serving a commuted death sentence for masterminding an infamous spate of murders in Los Angeles in 1969.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
While comparing any modern political figure to those of this era is fraught, Weimar Germany remains one of modern history's most infamous examples of the collapse of a democracy and the rise of authoritarianism.
—Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
The most infamous of these had occurred in 2000, when several networks prematurely called Florida for Al Gore, only to retract the call and later declare George W. Bush the winner, as the state plunged into a protracted recount.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for infamous
Articles Related to infamous
Dictionary Entries Near infamous
Cite this Entry
“Infamous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infamous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs
1
: having an evil reputation
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing an evil reputation : detestable
an infamous crime
infamously
adverb
Legal Definition
infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs
: of, relating to, or being a crime punishable by imprisonment (as a year or more in a penitentiary) that can lead to loss of rights and privileges upon conviction
also
: convicted of such a crime
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