infamous

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin infamosus, from Latin infamis. Displaced native Old English unhlīsful.

Pronunciation

• audio (US)

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• enPR: ĭnʹfə-məs, IPA^(key): /ˈɪnfəməs/

Adjective

infamous (comparative more infamous, superlative most infamous)

1. Having a bad reputation; disreputable; notorious; unpleasant or evil; widely known, especially for something scornful.

   He was an infamous traitor.

   She is infamous for perjury.

   • 1995, Leonard Nimoy, I Am Spock‎^[1], New York: Hyperion, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 188:

     Soon we arrived at the Beijing Hotel—within shouting distance of the now infamous Tienanmen Square.

   • 2014, “Little Green Men”: A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014‎^[2], Fort Bragg, North Carolina: The United States Army Special Operations Command, page 43:

     These infamous little green men appeared during the decisive seizures or buildings and facilities, only to disappear when associated militias and local troops arrived to consolidate the gains. In this way they provided a measure of deniability—however superficial or implausible—for Moscow.⁴⁰

   • 2021 October 20, Paul Stephen, “Leisure and pleasure on the Far North Line”, in RAIL, number 942, page 48:

     Despite the line proving to be a useful strategic route for men and supplies to the British naval fleets stationed at Scapa Flow in both world wars, the Duke's legacy looked to have passed into history when it was listed for closure in the infamous Beeching report.

2. Causing infamy; disgraceful.

   This infamous deed tarnishes all involved.

3. (UK, historical) Subject to a judicial punishment that deprived the infamous person of certain rights; this included a prohibition against holding public office, exercising the franchise, receiving a public pension, serving on a jury, or giving testimony in a court of law.

Derived terms

• infamously
• infamousness
• infamy

Translations

having a bad reputation

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: опозорен (bg) (opozoren)
• Catalan: infame (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臭名昭著 (zh) (chòumíngzhāozhù)

• Czech: nechvalně známý
• Danish: berygtet, infamøs
• Dutch: berucht (nl)
• Esperanto: fifama
• Finnish: pahamaineinen (fi), surullisenkuuluisa (fi)
• French: tristement célèbre
• Galician: infame (gl)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: anrüchig (de), berüchtigt (de), berühmt-berüchtigt (de), ehrlos (de), entehrend (de), gemein (de), infam (de), niederträchtig (de), schändlich (de), verrucht (de), verrufen (de)
• Greek: διαβόητος (el) (diavóitos)
• Hungarian: hírhedt (hu)
• Ido: infama (io)
• Italian: famigerato (it)
• Japanese: 悪名高い (あくみょうだかい, akumyō-dakai)
• Korean: 악명 높은 (angmyeong nopeun)
• Latin: infāmis
• Norwegian: beryktet (no)
• Occitan: infame (oc)
• Old English: unhlīsful
• Polish: niesławny (pl)
• Portuguese: infame (pt), famigerado (pt)
• Romanian: infam (ro), nerușinat (ro), ticălos (ro)
• Russian: бессла́вный (ru) (besslávnyj), позо́рный (ru) (pozórnyj), печа́льно изве́стный (pečálʹno izvéstnyj), печа́льно знамени́тый (pečálʹno znamenítyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: droch-chliùiteach
• Spanish: de mala fama, malfamado m, malafamado m
• Swedish: ökänd (sv), vanärande (sv), vanfrejdad, äreslös
• Turkish: alçak (tr), ayıp (tr), iğrenç (tr), kepaze (tr), kötü şöhretli, rezil (tr), rezilane, rezilcesine, utanç verici
• Ukrainian: безсла́вний (uk) (bezslávnyj), сумнозві́сний (sumnozvísnyj)

disgraceful

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: срамен (bg) (sramen), позорен (bg) (pozoren)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不光彩 (zh) (bùguāngcǎi)

• Faroese: æruleysur
• French: infâme (fr), abominable (fr)
• German: abscheulich (de), schändlich (de)
• Manx: anghooagh
• Old English: unhlīsful, sċandlīċ
• Swedish: vanhederlig, skändlig (sv), avskyvärd (sv)
• Turkish: iğrenç (tr), kepaze (tr), rezil (tr), rezilane, rezilcesine, utanç verici

References

• Oxford English Dictionary