2020-11-16
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด N – notorious & infamous
การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้องนี้ เป็นไปตามมาตรฐานการใช้ภาษา
การใช้คำอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง notorious = ‘noh-TAWR-ee-uhs’
ออกเสียง infamous = ‘IN-fuh-muhs’
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree
Notorious = widely and unfavorably known;
disreputable; infamous: a notorious bank robber
Not to be confused with:
notable – prominent, important, or distinguished; famous; great; eminent: a notable philanthropist
noted – well-known; celebrated: a noted musician
Dictionary.com
VOCAB BUILDER
What does notorious mean?
Notorious most commonly means famous
or well-known for a negative reason.
The word is especially used to describe
people who are widely known and viewed unfavorably for their actions, such as notorious criminals.
It can also be applied to events,
as in a notorious scandal.
This sense of notorious is
often used interchangeably with the word infamous.
Strictly speaking,
infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation,
while notorious usually implies that a person is both famous and disliked. Still, they usually mean just about the same thing.
Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action,
not necessarily a bad one.
For example, you might be notorious for wearing the same outfit every Friday,
or your aunt might be notorious for arriving late to family events.
The state or quality of being notorious is notoriety.
Example: The island prison known as Alcatraz was known for holding some of America’s most notorious criminals.
Where does notorious come from?
The first records of the word notorious come from the mid-1500s.
It comes from the Medieval Latin word nōtōrius, meaning “well-known” or “public,” from the Late Latin nōtōria, meaning “news” or “a notice,” and nōtōrium, “a criminal charge.” It’s ultimately rooted in the Latin verb nōscere, “to know.”
Notorious people are known for something specific,
and it’s usually not something good.
Often, the worse the thing is,
the more notorious the person is.
That’s why the word is most closely
associated with violent criminals whose crimes are widely known.
Still, the word isn’t always used in a completely negative way.
Among the people who know you,
you can be notorious for something neutral or something
that’s only slightly bad,
like being notorious for pulling pranks or not washing your dishes.
In popular culture,
notorious is known for its use in the stage name of rapper
The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), which later inspired a nickname for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg based on her initials: The Notorious R.B.G.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for notorious
FAMOUS, RENOWNED, CELEBRATED, NOTED, NOTORIOUS, DISTINGUISHED, EMINENT, ILLUSTRIOUS
mean known far and wide.
FAMOUS implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known. a famous actress
RENOWNED implies more glory and acclamation. one of the most renowned figures in sports history
CELEBRATED implies notice and attention especially in print. the most celebrated beauty of her day
NOTED suggests well-deserved public attention. the noted mystery writer
NOTORIOUS frequently adds to FAMOUS an implication of questionableness or evil. a notorious gangster
DISTINGUISHED implies acknowledged excellence or superiority. a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize
EMINENT implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character. the country's most eminent writers
ILLUSTRIOUS stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person. illustrious war heroes
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Did You Know?
Notorious was adopted into English in the 16th century from Medieval Latin notorius, itself from Late Latin's noun notorium, meaning "information" or "indictment."
"Notorium," in turn, derives from the Latin verb noscere, meaning "to come to know."
Although "notorious" can be a synonym of "famous," meaning simply "widely known," it long ago developed the additional implication of someone or something unpleasant or undesirable. The Book of Common Prayer Offices of 1549 includes the first known use of the unfavorable meaning in print, referring to "notorious synners."
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
Is 'Notorious' Always Negative?
The word has a bad reputation
Notorious is a word that got a bad rap by
association with an undesirable lot.
The word comes from the Late Latin noun notorium, meaning "information" or "indictment," which in turn is from noscere, "to come to know."
It was first used in the 16th century with the neutral meaning "well or widely known," but very early it came to be used with nouns of unsavory meaning—one of the earliest uses is the combination "notorious sinners." Frequent use with nouns of this kind colored the subsequent use of the word with a pejorative connotation, leading to the word's most frequently used sense, "widely and unfavorably known."
The most common meaning of 'notorious' is "widely and unfavorably known." The word does have a neutral meaning ("widely known"), but it tends to be colored by the pejorative meaning.
… Charlie Gasko turned out to be James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston gangster, and longtime fugitive who is now in prison serving two lifetime sentences.
— Lesley Stahl, speaking on CBS, 10 July 2016
Although notorious is always pejorativewhen linked with a noun for an undesirable person, there are instances when the word is applied to people in a playful or witty way:
Design plays a bigger part on the series than it's ever played on another drama; show creator Matthew Weiner is a notorious perfectionist, and set decorator Claudette Didul goes to extreme lengths to ensure that everything … looks period-perfect.
— Andrew Romano, The Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2015
… Alben and I had our pictures taken, as is usual when notorious persons leave or arrive in cities.
— Harry S. Truman, diary, 20 Sept. 1945
Just as important, the Bucs are a notorious fastball-hitting team that struggles mightily versus off-speed stuff.
— Joe Strauss, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5 Oct. 2013
Note that in each of these non-pejorative examples
the selection of notorious rather than well-known, famous, etc.,
is undoubtedly due to the word's overtones.
When notorious is applied to terms that refer to something not human,
it often verges on the neutral.
Still, if weather, a book, or a fish is describedas notorious—in the absence of clues to the contrary—the effect of the word will be pejorative.
As we began to chat, Portland's notorious wet weather began to create streams of potential energy all around us.
—Hari Sreenivasan, speaking on PBS, 14 Apr. 2015
In 1994, Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray published their notorious volume, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life.
—Ian Tattersall, Natural History, February 2013
Among the many animals here, three thousand species of fish. Some notorious. We're on a fishing expedition like no other to catch piranha.
— Keir Simmons, speaking on NBC News, 16 Aug. 2016
When there is no intended overtone, as is sometimes the case,
notorious is used as a more emphatic term for famous, well-known, etc. But even in itsneutral uses, the term's association with the unfavorable, disreputable, and unsavory colors its meaning in a way that those other words do not.
Yellow wigs and gum balls can only mean one thing. The notorious Project Runway unconventional materials challenge where designers create fashion out of decidedly unfashionable stuff.
— Savannah Guthrie, speaking on NBC news, 15 Sept. 2016
He'd smile after he'd struck somebody out with his notorious 90-plus-mile-an-hour fastball. — Eyder Peralta, speaking on NPR, 26 Sept. 2016
There are also instances in which meaning is entirely dependent on the matter that follows the word.
In the construction notorious for, for example, meaning only comes to light after for.
The following examples illustrate the "unfavorably known" sense of word.
The NFL, notorious for fining players to veer from its strict uniform policy, yesterday announced a one-week amnesty. Week 13 of this NFL season, players will be allowed to wear special cleats as long as they are worn for a cause.
— Jared Max, speaking on the Fox Network, 13 Sept. 2016
Millennials are notorious for their low voter turnout, but their political clout is growing.
— Robert Siegel, speaking on NPR, 22 Aug. 2016
Comedians are notorious for pushing back against authority.
— The National Review, 6 July 2015
In the same construction, notorious can be used in its "generally known" sense.
Bass (pike and pickerel, too) are notorious for feeding around weeds.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, May 2011
Sandy Creek's fans are notorious for supporting the team.
—Michael Carvell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Dec. 2009
Avery ... will be even faster in the Edward Jones Dome, which is notorious for having the fastest surface in the league.
— John McClain, The Houston Chronicle, 27 Apr. 2008
Another frequent construction is notorious that.
In that phrasing, the word is nearly alwaysused in its neutral
"generally known and talked of" sense;
again, any pejorative intent has to be supplied bythe matter following that, which seldom happens:
Two decades ago, it was notorious that family physicians overprescribed antibiotics.
— Lawrie McFarlane, The Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia), 29 Nov. 2015
Clinton’s penchant for spicy food is reportedly so notorious that flight stewards bring jalapeño slices to her with every dish.
— Jennifer Madison, The Independent Online, 15 July 2011
Sales at Jos. A Bank have been consistently declining since it stopped doing its infamous "buy one, get many free" promotions. The sales were so notorious that they were mocked by Saturday Night Live.
— Mallory Schlossberg, Business Insider, 10 Mar. 2016
As you can see from the examples, most people have no problem handling notorious and are aware of its overtones.
All you have to remember is that it always seems to have a certain piquancy, a certain bite, from its frequent association with persons and things of undesirable character. Even whenit is neutral in denotation, it has that characteristic flavor—but there are ways to subdue it.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
“Infamous” vs. “Notorious”: Which One Is Better?
Thanks to clicks, likes, and verified blue checkmarks,
a person’s reputation can extend far beyond those who know them personally.
For example, it’s widely known that Chris Evans is a real-life Captain America who holds doors open for people, and we all acknowledge that Beyoncé is a goddess among us mere mortals.
Speaking of superpowers, before she passed away on September 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg used to do planks every day—you know, between issuing fierce dissenting opinions and keeping a night-owl’s work schedule. Whew!
Some people, though, have a reputation that precedes them in less positive ways. If people break into whispers when a person enters a room or if mentioning a name makes people’s eyebrows waggle, chances are high that that person is either infamous or notorious for something.
But, which is it?
Infamous and notorious are commonly interchanged terms
used to describe someone who or something that is famous for being negative in some way.
While they can sometimes mean the same thing, there are subtle differences between the two terms.
There are times when either will work, yet in other cases, one word is a better fit.
What does it mean to be infamous?
First recorded in the 14th century,
infamous is an adjective rooted in the Latin infamis, “of ill fame.”
We use it to describe a person, place, or thing known for “having an extremely bad reputation.”
It can also mean “deserving of or causing an evil reputation, detestable.” Think Cruella de Vil, Voldemort, and your 11th-grade algebra teacher.
People, places, or things can also go down in infamy, getting a super bad rep as the result of a “shameful, criminal or outrageous act.”
See also: Fyre Festival.
Remember, just because infamous has the word famous embedded within it doesn’t mean the two go hand in hand.
Flipping a table at a family dinner may go down in infamy, winning you the reputation as the cousin with the temper.
But, unless your family has its own time slot on Bravo, it won’t make you famous.
What does it mean to be notorious?
Similar to infamous, notorious is an adjective
meaning “widely and unfavorably known.”
Evidenced in the late 15th century,
notorious originally meant “well known,”
true to its ultimate Latin root, notus, meaning “known.”
When you say notorious and its noun form notoriety,
it may be clear that they both start with not-,
as in note, a word indeed related to notorious.
Which makes it easier to remember
that identifying someone as notorious is like putting a notice out on them.
So what about notorious vs. notable vs. noteworthy?
Well, they are all close in meaning (due to that same Latin root),
but there are subtle but significant differences among them.
Head on over to our dictionary pages for notable and noteworthy for some lexical judgment on them.
What’s the verdict on whether it’s spelled judgement or judgment? Read about the history behind the two spellings for the word here.
The subtle differences between infamy and notoriety
Beyond being used to throw shade,
like saying the Kardashians are notorious for drama,
notorious can also mean “publicly or generally known,
as for a particular trait.”
Jack Nicholson is notorious for always wearing sunglasses,
a good example of the word being used without as many negative vibes implied.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Frequently Asked Questions About infamous
Is being infamous always a bad thing?
Infamous has a small range of meanings,
and none of them are ones that most people would care to be described with.
It may mean "notoriously evil," "disgraceful,"
or "convicted of an offense bringing infamy"
(infamy is "evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal, shocking, or brutal").
Is infamous the opposite of famous?
Infamous is not the opposite if famous.
It does not mean "not famous" or"exceptionally famous."
It means "having a reputation of the worst kind."
Although the in- prefix often indicates negation or gives a meaning opposite to the word it is attached to,
it occasionally will have other meanings (such as "inward" and "thoroughly").
What is the difference between unfamous and infamous?
"Although it would appear that both of these words are created by adding a similar prefix to the word famous, they actually have quite different meanings.
Infamous means ""notoriously evil""
whereas unfamous simply means ""not famous."" I
nfamous is by far the more commonly-used of the two. "
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
Famous vs. Infamous
The prefix is not your friend
What to Know
Famous means "widely known,"
while infamous means "having a reputation of the worst kind."
This can be confusing because the prefix in- often implies an opposite
or a negation, but it can also mean"inward" or "thoroughly."
This is why infamous does notmean "not famous."
Perhaps you are one of those people who has looked up the word infamous because you can’t seem to quite remember whether it’s supposed to mean “very famous,” “not famous,” “famous (but in a bad way),” or some other thing.
If this is the case, you are in excellent company: our records indicate that approximately 88,000 people searched for the word infamous on this site in a recent month.
Don't be confused by the prefix: 'in' at the beginning of the word can have any one of several meanings.
The 'in' in 'infamous' implies negation,
but 'infamous' means “having a reputation of the worst kind," not "not famous."
Origin of Famous and Infamous
Yes, famous and infamous have some similarities
(both words are descended from the Latin fama, meaning “fame,”
and both often have to do with being well-known),
but they have decidedly different meanings.
Famous typically carries the meaning of “widely known,”
and is often used in a positive manner;
infamous, on the other hand, has a negative setof meanings,
such as “having a reputation of the worst kind” or “causing or bringing infamy.”
There you have it.
One of these words means one thing, and the other word means something else.
It’s all very simple isn’t it? No, it is not.
Here are a few ways that things which look simple in English are decidedly not so.
Synonyms that Sound Like Opposites
The word lock means “to fasten (something) with a lock.”
So, what does the word unlock mean?
If you guessed “to unfasten the lock of” pat yourself on the back.
Now let’s move on to another question:
if the word thaw means “to stop being frozen”
what does the word unthaw mean?
If you guessed something along the lines of “to make something frozen,” well, hang your head in shame and befuddlement.
The definition of unthaw is “thaw.”
Similarly, unloosen is pretty much identical to loosen,
invaluable and valuable are much more synonyms than antonyms,
and to really muddy the waters we can bring up the issue of flammable and inflammable.
Why must this be so?
Was the English language actually created by a cruel and vengeful god, or was it perhaps all put together in a single afternoon by a committee of unlearned and bickering idiots?
No, neither of these theories, so far as we can tell, have much evidence to support them.
There is a perfectly valid reason for why so many apparently opposite words have the same, or almost the same, meaning, and it has to do with the role played by one of our prefixes.
The Prefix "In-"
The prefix we are concerned with here (in-) can have a variety of both meanings and forms.
It can take the forms of il-, im-, or ir-, in addition to in-, depending on what letter it precedes.
It can mean “not,” (inconclusive), and it can also mean “inward, into, toward” (as in implode or irradicate).
And in a final confusing twist, it can also serve as an intensifier, meaning “thoroughly” (which is possibly why so many people think infamous means “very famous”).
Infamous contains the version of in- which implies negation, although it does not actually mean “not famous.”
You do not actually have to be famous to be infamous, although we are unlikely to see this latter word applied to a person who is little-known, inconspicuous, or who has not achieved at least some degree of notoriety.
If the distinction continues to prove elusive, you can always try to remember that the noun form of infamous is infamy, which has no pleasant connotations, and which was immortalized in our language with its use by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he gave a speech referring to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor as “a date which will live in infamy.”
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
no·to′ri·ous·ly adv.
no·to′ri·ous·ness n.
Usage Note:
Although notorious and notoriety have been used in negative, positive, and neutral contexts since the 1500s, over the years, notorious (and to a lesser extent notoriety) has come to be used primarily in negative contexts, often with a connotation of wickedness or undesirability.
In our 2011 survey, 81 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the sentence The region is notorious for its seismic disturbances, whereas only 26 percent accepted a sentence that used notorious in a situation where the circumstances for fame are positive: She is notorious for her excellent standup comedy routines. The Panel is somewhat more willing to accept notoriety in a positive context: almost half (45 percent) approved of the sentence His success on college campuses brought him enough notoriety to release a greatest hits CD.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
Famous – well-known – notorious – infamous
1. 'famous'
If someone or something is famous, very many people know about them.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a famous writer?
...the world's most famous picture.
2. 'well-known'
Well-known has a similar meaning to famous.
However, a well-known person or thing is usually known to fewer people or in a smaller area than a famous one.
...a club run by Paul Ross, a well-known Lakeland climber.
...his two well-known books on modern art.
Well-known can be spelled with or withouta hyphen.
You usually spell it with a hyphen in front of anoun
and without a hyphen after a verb.
I took him to a well-known doctor in Harley Street.
The building became very well known.
3. 'notorious'
Someone or something that is notorious
is well known for something that is bad or undesirable.
The area was notorious for murders.
...his notorious arrogance.
4. 'infamous'
People and things are described as infamous
when they are well known because
they are connected with wicked or cruel behaviour.
...the infamous serial killer known as 'the Boston Strangler'.
...the infamous shower scene from Psycho.
Common Errors In English Usage Dictionary
Notorious
“Notorious” means famous in a bad way,
as in “Nero was notorious for giving long recitals of his tedious poetry.”
Occasionally writers deliberately use it in a positive sense
to suggest irony or wit, but this is a very feeble and tired device.
Nothing admirable should be called “notorious.”
