fame

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: public estimation : reputation
b
: popular acclaim : renown
2
archaic : rumor

fame

2 of 2

verb

famed; faming

transitive verb

1
archaic : report, repute
2
: to make famous

Examples of fame in a Sentence

Noun He died at the height of his fame. The book tells the story of her sudden rise to fame. He gained fame as an actor. She went to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
While most of the sequel's cast are single, both Prinze Jr. and Hewitt have proven that Hollywood fame doesn't have to get in the way of finding true love. Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 19 July 2025 This wealthy municipality west of Lisbon was a turn-of-the-century haunt for aristocrats in search of its therapeutic thermal waters, before finding wartime fame in the 1940s as a den of espionage on both sides thanks to Portugal’s neutrality. Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Verb
But the type of city varied: ancient sites famed for their historic ruins—such as Luxor in Egypt and Petra in Jordan—feature alongside modern metropolises like Dubai to Doha. Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025 From the beginning, Squid Game has been famed for its exceedingly dark vision of humanity, and the real world outside the show has arguably only grown darker during the five years since the series first went into production. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fame

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fama report, fame; akin to Latin fari to speak — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fame was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fame. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

fame

noun
ˈfām
: the fact or condition of being known to the public : renown
famed
ˈfāmd
adjective

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