famous Hear it!

famous Definition

fa·mous (fā′məs)

adjective

  1. much talked about; having fame, or celebrity; renowned
  2. Informal excellent; very good; first-rate
  3. Archaic notorious

Etymology: ME < L famosus < fama: see fame

famous Synonyms

famous

modif.

renowned, celebrated, well-known, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious, famed, foremost, preeminent, acclaimed, conspicuous, far-famed, prominent, honored, reputable, recognized, notable, important, of note, of mark, prestigious, name, exalted, remarkable, extraordinary, great, brilliant, splendid, august, grand, applauded, universally recognized, popular, peerless, imposing, towering, legendary, storied, influential, leading, noteworthy, talked of, outstanding, memorable, in the limelight, in the spotlight, in the public eye, big-name*, on everyone's lips*.

Antonyms unknown*, obscure*, humble.

famous is applied to persons or things that have received wide public attention and are generally known and talked about; renowned suggests fame or honor achieved through some outstanding quality or accomplishment; celebrated is applied to persons or things that have received much public honor or praise; noted implies a being brought to the wide notice of the public for some particular quality; notorious, in current usage, suggests a being widely but unfavorably known or talked about; distinguished implies a being noted as superior in its class or of its kind; eminent more strongly stresses the conspicuous superiority of persons or things; illustrious suggests a reputation based on brilliance of achievement or splendidness of character

famous Usage Examples

Preposition: as

birthplace: Probably most famous as the birthplace of the Fab Four, Liverpool is a city brimming with history - musical and otherwise.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

visit: Our journey takes us into the valley where we we visit the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Modifies a noun

  • landmark: The city's most famous landmark is the White Tower, all that remains of the walls that once surrounded the city.
  • victory: To commemorate this famous victory, two circular woods were planted on the return home of the Earl of Dumfries.
  • son: Another famous son of Cockermouth was Fletcher Christian, the man who led the mutiny on ' The Bounty ' .
  • poet: The footpaths around the farm are linked to Thomas Hardy, a famous poet & author.
  • poem: His pose " In Flanders Fields " first appeared in Punch during December 1915 and became the most famous poem of the war.
  • architect: Each villa has been designed by famous local architects using modern but traditional materials.

Modifying Another Word

  • justly: Yell, the Gateway to the North Isles, and justly famous for otters, is the second largest island in Shetland.
  • internationally: The legends don't stop with people as we have our internationally famous set of stones in Wiltshire: Stonehenge.
  • deservedly: Heard at every station and on radios in between, it's deservedly famous.
  • equally: The region is equally famous for cave diving and includes some of the most extensive submerged networks in Europe.
  • once: His gallery, once famous throughout the former Yugoslavia, was destroyed along with many of his paintings.
  • now: During the evenings, Tersteegen studied the Bible and began compositions for his now famous Little Flower Garden.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Brendan Fraser became famous by choosing his projects well.
  • make: To the north west of Liskeard lies Bodmin Moor made famous by Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn.
  • remain: So what do we conclude from this sad case which has remained famous for almost 250 years?

Preposition: for

  • wedding: Several, in fact, have created wedding cakes for the rich and famous for weddings not even held in Hawaii.
  • minute: But do they get more than they bargained for in a world where any nude with attitude can be famous for 15 minutes?
  • production: The area had numerous mulberry trees and was famous for silk production.