FAMOUS Synonyms: 192 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'famous' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of famous are celebrated , distinguished , eminent , illustrious , noted , notorious , and renowned . While all these words mean "known far and wide," famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known. // a famous actress

Q: When is it sensible to use 'celebrated' instead of 'famous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to famous , celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print. // the most celebrated beauty of her day

Q: When could 'distinguished' be used to replace 'famous'?

The words distinguished and famous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority. // a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

Q: Where would 'eminent' be a reasonable alternative to 'famous'?

The synonyms eminent and famous are sometimes interchangeable, but eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character. // the country's most eminent writers

Q: When might 'illustrious' be a better fit than 'famous'?

While the synonyms illustrious and famous are close in meaning, illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person. // illustrious war heroes

Q: When would 'noted' be a good substitute for 'famous'?

Although the words noted and famous have much in common, noted suggests well-deserved public attention. // the noted mystery writer

Q: How do 'notorious' and 'famous' relate to one another?

Notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil. // a notorious gangster

Q: When is 'renowned' a more appropriate choice than 'famous'?

In some situations, the words renowned and famous are roughly equivalent. However, renowned implies more glory and acclamation. // one of the most renowned figures in sports history

famous

adjective

ˈfā-məs

Definition of famous

as in famed

widely known a book about some of the most famous people of the last century

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wonderful

of the very best kind the review gushed that the restaurant offered some truly famous Southern-style cooking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word famous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of famous are celebrated, distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noted, notorious, and renowned. While all these words mean "known far and wide," famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

When is it sensible to use celebrated instead of famous?

While in some cases nearly identical to famous, celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

When could distinguished be used to replace famous?

The words distinguished and famous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

Where would eminent be a reasonable alternative to famous?

The synonyms eminent and famous are sometimes interchangeable, but eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

When might illustrious be a better fit than famous?

While the synonyms illustrious and famous are close in meaning, illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

When would noted be a good substitute for famous?

Although the words noted and famous have much in common, noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

How do notorious and famous relate to one another?

Notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

When is renowned a more appropriate choice than famous?

In some situations, the words renowned and famous are roughly equivalent. However, renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of famous The most famous of their early medieval narratives in Old English is the tale of Beowulf. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 One of the first and most famous comparisons dates back to 1958. — John Ficarra, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026 Murals honoring the town’s famous native daughter appeared in shop windows along the way to breakfast. — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Bell was also something of a medical detective, working with a local police surgeon on some of the most famous murder cases of his day. — ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for famous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for famous

Adjective

Well, at least not the incarnation most fans of the famed Philly basketball series remember from its heyday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their masterwork, The Black Parade, the show marked the first time a band has had a residency of that length at the famed venue.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of famed

Adjective

In the center of the lounge there’s an imposing green marble bar—a tribute to the celebrated Italian architect Piero Portaluppi—that serves as the focal point of the space.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
In that time, the celebrated documentary series has been through nearly every iteration of the TV business — and is about to embark on a new one.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of celebrated

Adjective

His 28-yard touchdown reception from Sam Darnold late in the second quarter beat Delane, who had excellent position.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
The biggest key for the Brewers in this game is to see if their bullpen can keep their excellent pitching alive.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of excellent

Adjective

The number is an estimate by Yogendra Yadav, an elections specialist and prominent critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
The 4,000-square-foot store will be one of the newest tenants in the prominent shopping plaza in downtown Sacramento.

— Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of prominent

Adjective

L3Harris claims its design can deliver greater range and speed than existing systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Tarantino revealed the most personally meaningful piece of casting in a film filled with great performances — including supporting turns by multiple actors (Austin Butler, Mikey Madison, Sydney Sweeney) who have blown up in the seven years since.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of great

Adjective

Beyond cooking, Relota Luczo takes a shot of Furtuna Skin’s LXR06 Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil on an empty stomach each morning to maintain her beautiful skin.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Give the cake a final shake of fresh nutmeg for a beautiful presentation.

— Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of beautiful

Browse Nearby Words

famishment

famous

famousness

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“Famous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of famous

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Synonyms of famous

adjective

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Famous vs. Infamous

Cite this Entry

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