adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
ĭnʹfə-məs
/ˈɪn.fə.məs/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH1 N F AH0 M AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having a bad reputation; disreputable; notorious; unpleasant or evil; widely known, especially for something scornful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This infamous deed tarnishes all involved.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Subject to a judicial punishment depriving (the person) of certain rights (e.g. the rights to hold public office, exercise the franchise, receive a public pension, serve on a jury, or give testimony in a court of law).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Punishable by death or imprisonment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
known widely and usually unfavorably;
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a notorious gangster
the tenderloin district was notorious for vice
the infamous Benedict Arnold
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ill-famed, notorious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English enfamouse, in-fames, infamous, from Medieval Latin īnfāmōsus, from Latin īnfāmis; by surface analysis, in- + famous. Displaced native Old English unhlīsful.
Across languages
Translations
97 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
опозорен
(opozoren)
— having a bad reputation
Catalan:
infame
— having a bad reputation
Chinese Mandarin:
臭名昭著
(chòumíngzhāozhù)
— having a bad reputation
Chinese Mandarin:
惡名昭彰 /恶名昭彰
(èmíngzhāozhāng)
— having a bad reputation
Czech:
nechvalně známý
— having a bad reputation
Danish:
berygtet
— having a bad reputation
Danish:
infam
— having a bad reputation
Danish:
ussel
— having a bad reputation
Dutch:
berucht
— having a bad reputation
Esperanto:
fifama
— having a bad reputation
Finnish:
pahamaineinen
— having a bad reputation
Finnish:
surullisenkuuluisa
— having a bad reputation
French:
tristement célèbre
— having a bad reputation
Galician:
infame
— having a bad reputation
German:
anrüchig
— having a bad reputation
German:
berüchtigt
— having a bad reputation
German:
berühmt-berüchtigt
— having a bad reputation
German:
ehrlos
— having a bad reputation
German:
entehrend
— having a bad reputation
German:
gemein
— having a bad reputation
German:
infam
— having a bad reputation
German:
niederträchtig
— having a bad reputation
German:
schändlich
— having a bad reputation
German:
verrucht
— having a bad reputation
German:
verrufen
— having a bad reputation
Greek:
διαβόητος
(diavóitos)
— having a bad reputation
Hindi:
कुख्यात
(kukhyāt)
— having a bad reputation
Hungarian:
hírhedt
— having a bad reputation
Ido:
infama
— having a bad reputation
Italian:
famigerato
— having a bad reputation
Japanese:
悪名高い
(akumyō-dakai)
— having a bad reputation
Korean:
악명 높은
(angmyeong nopeun)
— having a bad reputation
Latin:
infāmis
— having a bad reputation
Latin:
propudiosus
— having a bad reputation
Latin:
propudianus
— having a bad reputation
Māori:
mōiriiri
— having a bad reputation
Norwegian:
beryktet
— having a bad reputation
Occitan:
infame
— having a bad reputation
Old English:
unhlīsful
— having a bad reputation
Polish:
niesławny
— having a bad reputation
Portuguese:
infame
— having a bad reputation
Portuguese:
famigerado
— having a bad reputation
Romanian:
infam
— having a bad reputation
Romanian:
nerușinat
— having a bad reputation
Romanian:
ticălos
— having a bad reputation
Russian:
бессла́вный
(besslávnyj)
— having a bad reputation
Russian:
позо́рный
(pozórnyj)
— having a bad reputation
Russian:
печа́льно изве́стный
(pečálʹno izvéstnyj)
— having a bad reputation
Russian:
печа́льно знамени́тый
(pečálʹno znamenítyj)
— having a bad reputation
Scottish Gaelic:
droch-chliùiteach
— having a bad reputation
Spanish:
de mala fama
— having a bad reputation
Spanish:
malfamado
— having a bad reputation
Spanish:
malafamado
— having a bad reputation
Spanish:
infame
— having a bad reputation
Spanish:
méndigo
— having a bad reputation
Swedish:
ökänd
— having a bad reputation
Swedish:
vanärande
— having a bad reputation
Swedish:
vanfrejdad
— having a bad reputation
Swedish:
äreslös
— having a bad reputation
Thai:
ฉาว
(chǎao)
— having a bad reputation
Thai:
ชื่อเสีย
(chʉ̂ʉ-sǐia)
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
alçak
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
ayıp
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
iğrenç
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
kepaze
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
kötü şöhretli
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
rezil
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
rezilane
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
rezilcesine
— having a bad reputation
Turkish:
utanç verici
— having a bad reputation
Ottoman Turkish:
رذیل
(rezil)
— having a bad reputation
Ukrainian:
безсла́вний
(bezslávnyj)
— having a bad reputation
Ukrainian:
сумнозві́сний
(sumnozvísnyj)
— having a bad reputation
Vietnamese:
khét tiếng
— having a bad reputation
Bulgarian:
срамен
(sramen)
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Bulgarian:
позорен
(pozoren)
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Chinese Mandarin:
不光彩
(bùguāngcǎi)
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Faroese:
æruleysur
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
French:
infâme
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
French:
abominable
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
German:
abscheulich
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
German:
schändlich
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Hindi:
अपमानजनक
(apmānajnak)
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Latin:
propudiosus
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Latin:
propudianus
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Manx:
anghooagh
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Old English:
unhlīsful
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Old English:
sċandlīċ
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Swedish:
vanhederlig
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Swedish:
skändlig
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Swedish:
avskyvärd
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
iğrenç
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
kepaze
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
rezil
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
rezilane
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
rezilcesine
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
Turkish:
utanç verici
— disgraceful — see also disgraceful, scandalous
