famous

adjective

fa·​mous ˈfā-məs How to pronounce famous (audio)
Synonyms of famousnext
1
a
: widely known
a restaurant famous for its French cuisine
b
: honored for achievement
a famous explorer
2
: excellent, first-rate
famous weather for a walk
famousness noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for famous

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide.

famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

Examples of famous in a Sentence

a book about some of the most famous people of the last century the review gushed that the restaurant offered some truly famous Southern-style cooking
Recent Examples on the Web Pufferfish consume poisonous bacteria Pufferfish are famous as a Japanese delicacy known as fugu. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2024 The news made headlines around the world, and the track star, Zdeněk Koubek, was, for a while, internationally famous. —The New Yorker, 12 June 2024 The impact on the restaurant industry is indisputable: Many credit Bengali cooks for inventing internationally famous dishes such as chicken tikka masala. —Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2024 Its largest city, Sapporo, is famous for its brewing heritage. —Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for famous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'famous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin famosus, from fama fame

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of famous was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing famous

Dictionary Entries Near famous

famose

famous

famously

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Famous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famous. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.

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Kids Definition

famous

adjective
fa·​mous ˈfā-məs How to pronounce famous (audio)
1
: much talked about : very well-known
famous explorer
2
: excellent
famous weather for a picnic

More from Merriam-Webster on famous

Nglish: Translation of famous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of famous for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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