famous
Americanadjective
-
having a widespread reputation, usually of a favorable nature; renowned; celebrated.
a famous writer.
- Synonyms:
- illustrious, notable, famed
-
Informal. first-rate; excellent.
The singer gave a famous performance.
-
unfavorably known; notorious.
In my family, my uncle is famous for his bad jokes.
adjective
-
known to or recognized by many people; renowned
-
informal excellent; splendid
-
archaic of ill repute
Related Words
Famous, celebrated, eminent, distinguished refer to someone or something widely and favorably known. Famous is the general word: a famous lighthouse. Celebrated originally referred to something commemorated, but now usually refers to someone or something widely known for conspicuous merit, services, etc.: a celebrated writer. Eminent implies high standing among one's contemporaries, especially in one's own profession or craft: an eminent physician. Distinguished adds to eminent the idea of honors conferred more or less publicly: a distinguished scientist.
Other Word Forms
- famously adverb
- famousness noun
- overfamous adjective
- prefamous adjective
- prefamously adverb
- pseudofamous adjective
- pseudofamously adverb
- quasi-famous adjective
- quasi-famously adverb
- unfamous adjective
Etymology
Origin of famous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fāmōsus; fame, -ous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
President Bill Clinton appointed Al Gore head of the most famous vice-presidential task force, the National Partnership for Reinventing Government.
He’s famous enough to be opening on Broadway in “King Lear,” but he has to be pushed onstage and is forgetting lines.
From Los Angeles Times
It was meant to resemble Murray’s Cheese, the famous cheesemonger in New York City’s Greenwich Village, which Kroger bought in 2017.
NAIROBI—A Kenyan court dismissed a lawsuit by a Maasai leader who sought to demolish a Ritz-Carlton luxury safari camp, alleging it blocked a key route of the famous Serengeti migration.
Having stunned champions Hull KR in the opening round, York followed up with another famous day for the Knights who are playing in their first Super League season.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
