Standard Lemma guide

infamy

noun · 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.

  • /ˈɪnfəmi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N F AH0 M IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being infamous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • December 7, 1941; November 22, 1963; and September 11, 2001. The three dates which will live in infamy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, notoriety, unfame, discredit, disesteem, disfavour, dishonour, disrepute, ill fame, ill repute, infamy

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A reprehensible occurrence or situation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outrage, wrong, atrocity, depravity, infamy, iniquity, turpitude, wickedness

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A stigma attaching to a person's character that disqualifies them from being a witness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

evil fame or public reputation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: fame

Broader terms: disrepute, discredit

Narrower terms: notoriety, ill fame

5

noun

Meaning 5

a state of extreme dishonor- F.D.Roosevelt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a date which will live in infamy
  • the name was a by-word of scorn and opprobrium throughout the city

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: opprobrium

Antonyms: fame

Broader terms: dishonor, dishonour

History

Etymology

From late Middle English infamie, from Old French infamie, from Latin īnfāmia (“infamy”), from īnfāmis (“infamous”), from in- (“not”) + fāma (“fame, renown”). Displaced native Old English unhlīsa (literally “bad fame”).

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: га́ньба (hánʹba) — the state of being infamous
  • Belarusian: нясла́ва (njasláva) — the state of being infamous
  • Bulgarian: позо́р (pozór) — the state of being infamous
  • Bulgarian: безче́стие (bezčéstie) — the state of being infamous
  • Catalan: infàmia — the state of being infamous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 罵名 /骂名 (màmíng) — the state of being infamous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 污名 (wūmíng) — the state of being infamous
  • Czech: hanba — the state of being infamous
  • Czech: neblahá proslulost — the state of being infamous
  • Czech: ostuda — the state of being infamous
  • Czech: hanebnost — the state of being infamous
  • Dutch: schande — the state of being infamous
  • Esperanto: fifamo — the state of being infamous
  • Faroese: æruloysi — the state of being infamous
  • Finnish: pahamaineisuus — the state of being infamous
  • Finnish: häpeällisyys — the state of being infamous
  • French: infamie — the state of being infamous
  • Galician: infamia — the state of being infamous
  • German: Schande — the state of being infamous
  • Irish: míchlú — the state of being infamous
  • Italian: infamia — the state of being infamous
  • Japanese: 汚名 (omei) — the state of being infamous
  • Japanese: 不名誉 (fumeiyo) — the state of being infamous
  • Japanese: 悪名 — the state of being infamous
  • Korean: 오명 (omyeong) — the state of being infamous
  • Korean: 불명예 (bulmyeong'ye) — the state of being infamous
  • Korean: 악명 (angmyeong) — the state of being infamous
  • Latin: īnfāmia — the state of being infamous
  • Macedonian: зло́гласност (zlóglasnost) — the state of being infamous
  • Macedonian: озлогласеност (ozloglasenost) — the state of being infamous
  • Manx: anghoo — the state of being infamous
  • Māori: mōiriiritanga — the state of being infamous
  • Norwegian: beryktethet — the state of being infamous
  • Old English: unhlīsa — the state of being infamous
  • Polish: niesława — the state of being infamous
  • Polish: infamia — the state of being infamous
  • Portuguese: infâmia — the state of being infamous
  • Romanian: infamie — the state of being infamous
  • Russian: бессла́вие (besslávije) — the state of being infamous
  • Russian: позо́р (pozór) — the state of being infamous
  • Russian: дурна́я сла́ва (durnája sláva) — the state of being infamous
  • Russian: бесче́стие (besčéstije) — the state of being infamous
  • Sanskrit: कुख्याति (kukhyāti) — the state of being infamous
  • Sanskrit: अकीर्ति (akīrti) — the state of being infamous
  • Spanish: infamia — the state of being infamous
  • Swedish: vanära — the state of being infamous
  • Swedish: vanrykte — the state of being infamous
  • Swedish: vanfrejd — the state of being infamous
  • Swedish: äreslöshet — the state of being infamous
  • Telugu: అపకీర్తి (apakīrti) — the state of being infamous
  • Ottoman Turkish: رذالت (rezâlet) — the state of being infamous
  • Ukrainian: ганьба́ (hanʹbá) — the state of being infamous
  • Ukrainian: несла́ва (nesláva) — the state of being infamous