infamous

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman infamous, from Medieval Latin infamosus, from Latin infamis.

Pronunciation

• audio (US):

  (file)

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

Adjective

infamous (comparative more infamous, superlative most infamous)

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

   He was an infamous traitor.

   He was an infamous perjurer.

   • 2014, “Little Green Men”: A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014‎^[1], 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

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 m
• Danish: berygtet, infamøs
• Dutch: berucht (nl)
• Esperanto: fifama
• Finnish: pahamaineinen (fi), surullisenkuuluisa
• French: infâme (fr) m or f
• Galician: infame (gl)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: anrüchig, 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Ido: infama (io)
• Italian: famigerato (it) m
• Japanese: 悪名高い (あくみょうだかい, akumyō-dakai)
• Korean: 악명 높은 (angmyeong nopeun)
• Latin: infāmis
• Norwegian: beryktet
• Old English: unhlīsful, sċandlīċ
• Polish: niesławny (pl)
• Portuguese: infame (pt) m or f, famigerado (pt) m
• Romanian: infam (ro), nerușinat (ro), ticălos (ro)
• Russian: бессла́вный (ru) (besslávnyj), позо́рный (ru) (pozórnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: droch-chliùiteach
• Spanish: infame (es)
• Swedish: ökänd (sv), vanärande (sv), vanfrejdad, äreslös, ökänd (sv)
• Turkish: alçak (tr), ayıp (tr), iğrenç (tr), kepaze (tr), kötü şöhretli, rezil (tr), rezilane, rezilcesine, utanç verici
• Westrobothnian:

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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: abscheulich (de), schändlich (de)
• 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