infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs 
1
: having a reputation of the worst kind : notoriously evil
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing infamy : disgraceful
an infamous crime
3
: convicted of an offense bringing infamy
infamously
adverb
Examples of infamous in a Sentence
The most infamous of South America's poisonous snakes are the ringed coral snake and the pit viper.
—
Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row.
—Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost.
—Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime
He committed an infamous crime.
Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Clemens is famous, or maybe infamous, for his brushback pitches and in particular for his penchant for "doubling up," throwing two brushbacks in a row.
—Pat Jordan, New York Times Magazine, 4 Mar. 2001
Instead we invoke the infamous dark matter, also known to make up most of the mass of other galaxies (both spiral and elliptical), clusters of galaxies, and the universe. What is it? Your guess may not be quite as good as mine, but almost.
—Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995
a city infamous for poverty and crime
He committed an infamous crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2015, Daly added another infamous highlight at Whistling Straits, carding a 10 on the par three 7th.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In 1956, long before those flashy rhinestone jumpsuits, the infamous Jungle Room, and all the Vegas excess, Elvis was just a handsome, super-talented guy playing high schools and military bases along the Gulf coast.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Those already inside the gate stayed close to camp out of necessity, while those still outside were stuck in their vehicles — some for up to 20 hours — in the infamous one-lane traffic jam into Black Rock City (BRC).
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
After a now-infamous weather delay derailed a powerhouse clash at CPKC Stadium earlier this year, Saturday night’s matchup between the Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit provided a second bite at the apple.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infamous
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Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In 1956, long before those flashy rhinestone jumpsuits, the infamous Jungle Room, and all the Vegas excess, Elvis was just a handsome, super-talented guy playing high schools and military bases along the Gulf coast.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Those already inside the gate stayed close to camp out of necessity, while those still outside were stuck in their vehicles — some for up to 20 hours — in the infamous one-lane traffic jam into Black Rock City (BRC).
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
After a now-infamous weather delay derailed a powerhouse clash at CPKC Stadium earlier this year, Saturday night’s matchup between the Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit provided a second bite at the apple.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infamous
Cite this Entry
“Infamous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infamous. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs
1
: having an evil reputation
an infamous traitor
2
: causing or bringing an evil reputation : detestable
an infamous crime
infamously
adverb
Legal Definition
infamous
adjective
in·fa·mous
ˈin-fə-məs
: of, relating to, or being a crime punishable by imprisonment (as a year or more in a penitentiary) that can lead to loss of rights and privileges upon conviction
also
: convicted of such a crime
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