Notoriety Definition, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：infamy (notoriety)

notoriety 🔊

/noʊtəˈraɪəti/

being well-known for doing something bad or having a bad reputation.

Notoriety scene businessman facing negative headlines on screens

infamy 🔊

➕

/ˈɪnfəmi/

The state of being famous for something negative or criminal, especially widely known for bad reasons.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'notorius' (well-known) + '-ety', ultimately from 'notus' (known).

💡 Mnemonic

Notoriety = 'No tor'? Think 'No, a tor (hill) of bad fame' – imagine a notorious person everyone knows for wrongdoings.

📖 Example

The artist gained notoriety after it was discovered that many of his early works were copied from other, lesser-known painters. 🔊 The artist gained notoriety after it was discovered that many of his early works were copied from other, lesser-known painters.

🔗 Collocations

gain notoriety – become infamous

achieve notoriety – attain a bad reputation

notoriety for something – infamy due to a particular action or quality

🔄 Synonyms

infamy (n.) – The state of being well known for a bad quality or deed.

disrepute (n.) – The condition of being held in low regard or having a bad reputation.

ill repute (n.) – A negative public image or unfavorable opinion held by others.

🚫 Antonyms

fame (n.) – The state of being widely known and admired for positive achievements.

renown (n.) – Great fame and respect due to excellence or achievements.

celebrity (n.) – Fame and public attention, often for positive reasons.

🌱 Derivatives

notorious (adj.) – Famous for something bad or unpleasant.

notoriously (adv.) – In a way that is famous for something negative.

📖 Cultural Story

Originally neutral in Latin meaning 'well-known', the word shifted to a negative sense in English by the 16th century, often associated with scandal or crime.