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Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง Infamous = ‘IN-fuh-muhs’
ออกเสียง notorious = ‘noh-TAWR-ee-uhs’
Dictionary.com
“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.
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 differencesbetween 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.”
People, places, or things can also go down in infamy,
getting a super bad repas 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 differencesamong them.
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.
How do you use infamy and notoriety in a sentence?
Plenty of people use
the terms infamous and notorious interchangeably,
and that’s not necessarily wrong.
If who (or what) you’re describing is scandalous, evil,
or has some otherwise seriously negative baggage,
both infamous and notorious can work.
However, if you’re describing someone
who’s well known for something
but people’s opinions differ as to
whether or not what they did was wrong or bad,
notorious is a more nuanced choice.
In a world where fame is just a viral post away,
it’s no wonder infamy and notoriety are such popular terms.
With just a few clicks, you can become “that” person.
Which is why being picky
when deciding between the terms infamous and notorious matter.
Common Errors in English Usage Dictionary
Infamous & notorious
“Infamous” means famous in a bad way.
It is related to the word “infamy.”
Humorists have for a couple of centuries
jokingly used the word in a positive sense,
but the effectiveness of the joke depends on
the listener knowing that this is a misuse of the term.
Because this is a very old joke indeed
you should stick to using “infamous”
only of people like Hitler and Billy the Kid.
“Notorious” means the same thing as “infamous”
and should also only be used in a negative sense.
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 without a hyphen.
You usually spell it with a hyphen in front of a noun
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.
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 of 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."
"Infamous is by far the more commonly-usedof the two."
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
Famous vs. Infamous
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 not mean "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 beingfrozen”
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 reasonfor
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 immortalizedin 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.”
