in ‧ fa ‧ mous /ˈɪnfəməs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ famed , ↑ famous , ↑ infamous ; adverb : ↑ famously , ↑ infamously ; noun : ↑ fame ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: infamis , from fama ; ⇨ ↑ fame ]
well known for being bad or evil:
an infamous killer
Los Angeles’ infamous smog
infamous for
This area is infamous for drugs and prostitution.
—infamously adverb
• • •
THESAURUS
■ famous because of something bad
▪ notorious /nəʊˈtɔːriəs, nə- $ noʊ-, nə-/ famous because of doing something bad:
a notorious criminal
|
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
|
the infamous Jack the Ripper