Word
notorious
Phoneticsno·to·ri·ous, stress on the second syllable
US/noʊˈtɔɹiəs/
UK/nəʊtˈɔːɹɪəs/
Definitions
01famous for something bad
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. famous or well-known for something bad or negative.
adj. widely known and commonly spoken of, specifically for an unfavourable or undesirable reason.
Español:prócer
“The city is notorious for its terrible traffic during the summer months.”
“The region became notorious for its unpredictable weather, which frequently disrupted the local agricultural cycle and caused significant economic losses.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'for' or 'as'.
Pitfall
He is notorious for his good cooking.
He is famous for his good cooking.
Notorious is only used for negative things. Use 'famous' or 'well-known' for positive things.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02well-known or obvious
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. clearly known by everyone; impossible to hide.
adj. widely acknowledged or evident; used when a fact is common knowledge, often with a neutral or slightly formal tone.
“It is notorious that the two companies have been rivals for decades.”
“The inefficiency of the old postal system was notorious among the local merchants, who often resorted to private couriers for urgent deliveries.”
Usage
Usually used as a predicative adjective after a linking verb.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “notorious” in context.
Adjective
01. internationally notorious
“He was an internationally notorious hacker who managed to breach the central bank's security.”
adv + adj
02. notorious for being
“The local bus service is notorious for being unreliable during the winter months.”
adj + prep
Noun
03. notorious gang leader
“Police finally captured the notorious gang leader after a three-year manhunt.”
adj + noun + noun
04. notorious prison camp
“Survivors recently shared their stories about life inside the notorious prison camp.”
adj + noun + noun
Adverb
05. become notorious for
“The neighborhood has become notorious for its high crime rate and lack of street lighting.”
verb + adj + prep
06. remain notorious for
“The dictator remains notorious for his brutal suppression of political dissent.”
verb + adj + prep
Real-World Examples
“Thus was sparked an international murder case, one of the most notorious in Britain, later called “the crime of the century”, of which Hallie Rubenhold gives an engrossing account.” “It turns out the previous owner was a devotee of chaos magic, inspired by the notorious Aleister Crowley, who died in a Hastings boarding house called Netherwood.” Etymology
From Late Middle English notoryous, from Medieval Latin nōtōrius (“evident, known; famous, well-known; infamous”), from Latin nōtus (“known, recognized; familiar, widely known; famous, well-known; infamous”) + -tōrius (suffix forming adjectives). Nōtus is the perfect passive participle of nōscō (“to become acquainted with or learn about (something); (rare) to be familiar with, recognize”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know; to recognize”). cognates * Catalan notori (“well-known”) * Middle French notoire (Anglo-Norman notoire, notoir, notore, notorie, modern French notoire (“notorious; well-known”)) * Italian notorio (“notorious; well-known”) * Portuguese notorjo (obsolete), notório (“illustrious; open, public; notorious”) * Spanish notorio (“apparent, clear, obvious; well-known”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/notorious
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0