fa ‧ mous S2 W2 /ˈfeɪməs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ famed , ↑ famous , ↑ infamous ; adverb : ↑ famously , ↑ infamously ; noun : ↑ fame ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: fameus , from Latin fama ; ⇨ ↑ fame ]
1 .
a) known about by many people in many places:
a famous actor
Many famous people have stayed in the hotel.
The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark (=a famous place or building that is easy to recognize) .
famous for
France is famous for its wine.
famous as
Virginia is famous as the birthplace of several US presidents.
Da Vinci’s world-famous portrait of the Mona Lisa
b) the famous [plural] people who are famous:
a nightclub used by the rich and famous
2 . famous last words spoken used when someone has said too confidently that they can do something or that something will happen
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ famous known about by a lot of people in many places, often all over the world:
She always wanted to be famous.
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The Mona Lisa is Da Vinci’s most famous painting.
▪ well-known known about by a lot of people, especially in a particular place:
Shilpa Shetty was well-known in India, but few people in the UK had heard of her.
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a well-known brand of cat food
▪ celebrated written very well-known and admired:
Dalí is one of Spain’s most celebrated artists.
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Martin Luther King’s celebrated speech
▪ renowned/noted famous, especially for a particular thing or activity. Noted is more formal than renowned :
The British are renowned for their love of animals.
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The area is noted for its wines.
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An internationally renowned chef owns the restaurant.
▪ legendary very famous and greatly admired – used especially about people who have been doing something for a long time or who have died:
the legendary blues guitarist, BB King
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Her stage performances were legendary.
▪ celebrity noun [countable] someone who often appears in newspapers, on television etc and is well-known to the public:
The magazine is full of gossip about celebrities.
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Reality TV can turn its participants into celebrities.
■ famous because of something bad
▪ notorious /nəʊˈtɔːriəs, nə- $ noʊ-, nə-/ famous because of doing something bad:
a notorious criminal
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a notorious legal case
▪ infamous famous because of doing something very bad, which seems immoral or evil:
the infamous attack on the World Trade Center
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the infamous Jack the Ripper