Famous
adj.joyful, capableeveryday
What it means
Recognized by a large number of people, usually for a particular reason.
Reach for it when describing broad public notice without automatically praising character
The harbor is famous for a night market run by fishing families.
Choose between these
7- playful
household name
near-universal popular recognition suits informal prose
not when The idiom excludes famous places and objects.
- playful
the person or object symbolizes a style or era
not when Iconic is overused and needs more than simple recognition.
- everyday
recognition is broad but ordinary in scale
not when Well-known carries less cultural prominence than famous.
- warm
public praise accompanies recognition
not when A controversial person can be famous but not celebrated.
- professional
prominent
current importance or visibility matters
not when Prominence may be temporary and limited to one field.
- formal
notorious
wide recognition comes from something harmful
not when Notorious reverses the positive implication many readers hear in famous.
- formal
being known specifically for excellence is essential
not when Renowned wrongly adds admiration to mere celebrity.
Said against
3- unknown
- anonymous
- obscure
It naturally appears in
3- world-famous
The village hosts a world-famous festival of shadow puppets.
- famous for
This coast is famous for calm water and nesting terns.
- famous author
A famous author opened the new reading room.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: widely known opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.