student asking question

Just curious, I suppose the word "famous" refers to one's reputation. Then, does the word "infamous" mean that the object is not well known?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Not quite! "Famous" does refer to one's reputation of being well known. However, to be "infamous" means to be known for something bad they did or a bad quality. Ex: That chef is infamous for shouting at people all the time. Ex: He's a criminal. Infamous for stealing from the bank.

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