infamy
infamy Lexical Profile
infamy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The state of being well known for some bad quality, shameful deed, or wicked character; extreme ill fame or public disgrace.
"The corrupt official's name lived on in infamy long after the scandal came to light."
An evil, wicked, or abominable act or quality.
"Historical records detailed the many infamies committed by the regime against its own citizens."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because of the prefix 'in-', 'infamy' (and its adjective 'infamous') is sometimes mistakenly assumed to mean 'lack of fame' or 'obscurity', when it actually means being widely known specifically for something shameful or wicked.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Old French infamie, from Latin infamia ('ill fame, dishonor, disgrace'), derived from infamis ('of ill report'), from in- ('not, opposite of') and fama ('fame, reputation').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.