Words / B2

noh-TORR-ee-uh-s/nəʊˈtɔːriəs/

Notorious means famous for something bad: notorious for delays, a notorious fraudster. Famous is neutral or positive; infamous is a close twin, slightly more literary. Notoriety is the noun. In speech, well known for the wrong reasons is enough. Do not call a popular café notorious unless you mean a bad reputation, and do not use it as a compliment.

Meaning

Famous for something bad.

Examples

• “The junction is notorious for accidents in the fog.”
• “The roundabout is notorious for accidents in the rain.”
• “He became notorious after the expenses story, not after a charity campaign.”

Good to know

notorious for + a bad thing. Neutral fame: famous. Close: infamous. Noun: notoriety. Not a compliment.

Near in meaning

infamous

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