Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

infamy

/ˈɪnfəmi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.86 in modern English

Syllables
in-fa-my
IPA
/ˈɪnfəmi/
14
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being infamous.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A reprehensible occurrence or situation.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A stigma attaching to a person's character that disqualifies them from being a witness.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From late Middle English infamie, from Old French infamie, from Latin īnfāmia (“infamy”), from īnfāmis (“infamous”), from in- (“not”) + fāma (“fame, renown”). Displaced native Old English unhlīsa (literally “bad fame”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce infamy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪnfəmi/.
What does infamy mean?
The state of being infamous.
Where does infamy come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce infamy

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “infamy”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɪnfəmi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “infamy”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “infamy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.