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    famous

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    famous
    fa‧mous S2 W2 /ˈfeɪməs/ adjective
     Word Family: adjective: famed, famous, infamous; adverb: famously, infamously; noun: fame
     Date: 1300-1400
     Language: Old French
     Origin: fameus, from Latin fama; ⇨ fame
    1.
      a. known about by many people in many places:
        a famous actor
        Many famous people have stayed in the hotel.
        The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark (=a famous place or building that is easy to recognize).
        famous for
        France is famous for its wine.
        famous as
        Virginia is famous as the birthplace of several US presidents.
        Da Vinci’s world-famous portrait of the Mona Lisa
      b. the famous [plural] people who are famous:
        a nightclub used by the rich and famous
    2. famous last words spoken used when someone has said too confidently that they can do something or that something will happen
         
    THESAURUS
       ▪ famous known about by a lot of people in many places, often all over the world: She always wanted to be famous. | The Mona Lisa is Da Vinci’s most famous painting.
       ▪ well-known known about by a lot of people, especially in a particular place: Shilpa Shetty was well-known in India, but few people in the UK had heard of her. | a well-known brand of cat food
       ▪ celebrated written very well-known and admired: Dalí is one of Spain’s most celebrated artists. | Martin Luther King’s celebrated speech
       ▪ renowned/noted famous, especially for a particular thing or activity. Noted is more formal than renowned: The British are renowned for their love of animals. | The area is noted for its wines. | An internationally renowned chef owns the restaurant.
       ▪ legendary very famous and greatly admired – used especially about people who have been doing something for a long time or who have died: the legendary blues guitarist, BB King | Her stage performances were legendary.
       ▪ celebrity noun [countable] someone who often appears in newspapers, on television etc and is well-known to the public: The magazine is full of gossip about celebrities. | Reality TV can turn its participants into celebrities.
    ■ famous because of something bad
       ▪ notorious /nəʊˈtɔːriəs, nə- $ noʊ-, nə-/ famous because of doing something bad: a notorious criminal | a notorious legal case
       ▪ infamous famous because of doing something very bad, which seems immoral or evil: the infamous attack on the World Trade Center | the infamous Jack the Ripper