Infamous
/ˈɪn.fə.məs/noun
Widely and negatively known for something bad.
Did you know?In Latin, *infamis* didn’t just mean “unfamous” — it marked someone as stained by shame, often with legal and social consequences.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
ame-
“to speak, say”
Latin
Latin
fama
“report, rumor, reputation”
Latin
Latin
infamis
“of bad report; infamous, disreputable”
Middle English
English
infamous
“notorious, of bad reputation”
Modern English
English
infamous
“well known for some bad quality or deed”