having a widespread reputation, usually of a favorable nature; renowned; celebrated: a famous writer.
Informal. first-rate; excellent: The singer gave a famous performance.
unfavorably known; notorious: In my family, my uncle is famous for his bad jokes.
Origin of famous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fāmōsus; see origin at fame, -ous
SYNONYMS FOR famous
1 famed, notable, illustrious.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR famous ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR famous
1 unknown, obscure.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR famous ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for famous
1. Famous,celebrated,eminent,distinguished refer to someone or something widely and favorably known. Famous is the general word: a famous lighthouse.Celebrated originally referred to something commemorated, but now usually refers to someone or something widely known for conspicuous merit, services, etc.: a celebrated writer.Eminent implies high standing among one's contemporaries, especially in one's own profession or craft: an eminent physician.Distinguished adds to eminent the idea of honors conferred more or less publicly: a distinguished scientist.
Ratched’s famous keychain is a link between Fletcher and Paulson.
‘Ratched’ brings back iconic cinematic villain|Brian T. Carney|September 16, 2020|Washington Blade
For proof of concept, they decided to digitally reproduce Dutch master Johannes Vermeer's famous painting Girl With a Pearl Earring—just painted in light instead of pigment.
This tiny reproduction of Girl With a Pearl Earring is “painted” with light|Jennifer Ouellette|September 11, 2020|Ars Technica
The Fifth isn’t just a famous melody — it’s a story of despair, Beethoven’s deafness, and establishing the will to go on.
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is a lesson in finding hope in adversity|Charlie Harding|September 11, 2020|Vox
Dan’s view that the main thing in universal grammar—following on a famous paper by Hauser, Chomsky, and Fitch—is something like Merge.
Talking Is Throwing Fictional Worlds at One Another - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Kevin Berger|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
There are open-source programs people can access for free online, and as far as finding video footage of famous people—well, we’ve got YouTube to thank for how easy that is.
Microsoft’s New Deepfake Detector Puts Reality to the Test|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|September 4, 2020|Singularity Hub
As anybody who has seen his now famous rant on Parks and Recreation knows, Patton Oswalt can get a little obsessed.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The film has one of the most famous violent sequences of all time.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the authority of his name far exceeds that of our own, famous or obscure though we be.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One of the most famous directors of this era was Shin Sang-ok (신상옥).
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Horse You Came in On Saloon, Baltimore Horse-themed bars must be bad luck for famous authors.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His "Main Traveled Roads," the first of many editions appearing in 1891, made him famous.
Prairie Gold|Various
Thus he became acquainted with a famous singing girl called Tu, whose first name was Mei, or "Elegance."
Eastern Shame Girl|Charles Georges Souli
This individual we have kept to the last, though he was little more than a private person, and is not at all famous.
A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla|Leigh Hunt
There are several other varieties of cacao, but none of them produce the famous food.
The Food of the Gods|Brandon Head
Here is the most famous and most picturesque fish-market of all suburban Venice.