fame
gb/fˈeɪm/ us/fˈeɪm/
B1
English
~ 5800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
the state of being famous
The state of being known by many people.
Usage pattern:
fame for [doing something]; fame as [a/an role]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a fame"* or *"many fames"*. "Fame" is usually uncountable in this sense. Say "a lot of fame" or "become famous", not *"get a fame"*.
Synonyms
celebrity (Often refers to a famous person or the state of being a star, especially in entertainment, while 'fame' is more general.)
|
stardom (Usually used for being famous as an entertainer or sports star, not for general public recognition.)
Antonyms
obscurity (Means being unknown or not noticed by the public, the opposite of being widely known.)
Collocations
win fame
|achieve fame
|seek fame
|rise to fame
|enjoy fame
|international fame
Themes
media
|society
|celebrity
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- After the film’s success, she struggled to handle her sudden fame.
- He enjoys fame but tries to keep his private life quiet.
- The internet can bring global fame to ordinary people overnight.
- Not everyone wants the fame that comes with political power.
- His fame grew as more people discovered his music online.
Learner examples
- The singer found fame after her first big song.
- He does not want fame; he just wants to do his job.
- Her blog brought her a little fame in her country.
- Fame can change how people treat you.
- Many young people dream of fame on social media.
Noun
B2
entity
2
good public reputation
When many people admire and respect someone because of their work or character.
Usage pattern:
fame for [quality or achievement]; fame as [a/an respected role]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with simple popularity. "Fame" here suggests lasting, often serious respect for achievement, not just being liked by many people.
Synonyms
renown (More formal and often used in writing, especially to talk about respect in a particular field.)
Antonyms
infamy (Means being well known for something very bad or shameful, the opposite of respected fame.)
Collocations
win fame for
|earn fame
|bring fame to
|lasting fame
|fame and honor
Themes
society
|work
|reputation
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- She won international fame for her medical research.
- The city’s fame as a center of learning dates back centuries.
- His fame for honesty helped him win the election.
- The composer’s fame grew slowly, through the quality of his work.
- The restaurant gained fame for its simple but excellent food.
Learner examples
- She gained fame for her work with poor children.
- The town has some fame as a wine region.
- His fame as a teacher comes from his clear lessons.
- The book brought her great fame as a writer.
- The team’s fame grew after they won the cup.
Noun
C1
state
3
being known for bad things
When many people know you because of something bad or wrong you did.
Usage pattern:
fame as [a/an negative role]; fame for [bad behavior or actions]
Common mistake:
Learners often think "fame" is always positive. Context can make it negative, especially with words like "brutality", "crime", or "scandal". For clearly negative meaning, "notoriety" is usually stronger and more precise.
Synonyms
notoriety (More clearly negative and more common for this meaning; strongly suggests being known for bad reasons.)
Antonyms
respectability (Means being seen as good and proper, the opposite of being known for bad behavior.)
Collocations
gain fame as a criminal
|a certain dark fame
|undeserved fame
|a reputation and fame for cruelty
Themes
society
|crime
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- The dictator’s fame for brutality kept citizens in constant fear.
- He enjoys a certain fame as the most hated referee in the league.
- The company’s fame for cheating customers eventually destroyed it.
- The scandal gave the small town an unwanted fame.
- Online, his fame as a troll has made him widely disliked.
Learner examples
- The gang leader has fame as a very violent man.
- The town has bad fame because of the old factory accident.
- His fame for being rude makes people avoid him.
- She got sad fame after the story of her crime appeared on TV.
- The website has fame for false news.
Verb
archaic
C2
action
4
to make someone famous (archaic)
To make a person or thing very well known, usually by talking or writing about them. (This use is old and very rare.)
Usage pattern:
to fame [someone/something] for [achievement]
Common mistake:
Modern English speakers almost never use "fame" as a verb. Use "make famous" or "bring fame to" instead. The form "famed" is common as an adjective ("a famed artist"), but that is best learned as a separate word form.
Synonyms
immortalize (More common in modern English, usually used when someone is made famous forever through art or writing.)
Antonyms
ignore (To pay no attention to someone, which prevents them from becoming known.)
Collocations
fame the hero
|famed in story
|famed in song
Themes
literary
|media
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The old ballad fames the knight for his courage.
- Poets of that age sought to fame their patrons in elaborate verse.
- Legends fame the city as the birthplace of the ancient kings.
Learner examples
- An old song fames the king for his long rule.
- The story fames the village as a magic place.
- Writers in the past used poems to fame their heroes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fame
IPA
GB/fˈeɪm/
US/fˈeɪm/
Syllables & stress
fame (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fame)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fame
- Plural: fame
Verb
- Base: fame
- 3rd Person Singular: fames
- Present Participle: faming
- Past: famed
Word family
Forms
fames
verb
faming
verb
famed
verb
Core family
famous
adjective A2
Related words
famously
adverb
Advanced or less common
Expressions
fame and fortune
1/fˈeɪm ˈænd fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
being famous and rich
Being very well known and also very rich.
Examples
- He moved to the city in search of fame and fortune.
- Fame and fortune do not always bring happiness.
- She never expected fame and fortune from her small business.
find fame as
1/fˈaɪnd fˈeɪm ˈæz/
fixed phrase
become famous in a role
To become famous by doing a particular job or activity.
Examples
- She found fame as a TV chef.
- He first found fame as a child actor.
- The band found fame as street performers before signing a record deal.
rise to fame
1/ɹˈaɪz tə fˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
to become famous
To slowly become famous, usually because of success in work, sport, or art.
Examples
- She rose to fame in her early twenties after releasing her first album.
- The young actor rose to fame through a popular streaming series.
- Many reality show contestants rise to fame and then quickly disappear again.
seek fame and fortune
1/sˈik fˈeɪm ˈænd fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
try to be famous and rich
To try hard to become both famous and rich.
Examples
- Many young musicians move to big cities to seek fame and fortune.
- He went to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune as an actor.
- Some people seek fame and fortune; others just want a quiet life.
shoot to fame
1/ʃˈut tə fˈeɪm/
idiom
to become famous very fast
To become famous very quickly, often after one event or success.
Examples
- He shot to fame after a video of his performance went viral.
- The author shot to fame when her first novel won a major prize.
- They shot to fame with a single hit song.
the price of fame
1/ðə pɹˈaɪs əv fˈeɪm/
idiom
unpleasant costs of being famous
The bad things that happen in your life because you are famous, such as no privacy or stress.
Examples
- Constant media attention is the price of fame.
- Losing your privacy is often the price of fame.
- The singer said that hate messages are just part of the price of fame.
claim to fame
1/klˈeɪm tə fˈeɪm/
idiom
informal
Reason for being famous/well-known
The main reason someone or something is famous or known.
Examples
- Her only claim to fame is that she once met a movie star.
- The town's claim to fame is its giant cheese festival.
claim to fame
2/klˈeɪm tə fˈeɪm/
idiom
reason someone is known
The main thing that makes a person, place, or thing special or well known.
Examples
- Her main claim to fame is that she once sang with a famous band.
- The town’s only claim to fame is its giant cheese festival.
- His claim to fame is designing the company’s first successful app.
fifteen minutes of fame
1/fɪftˈin mˈɪnɪts əv fˈeɪm/
idiom
short period of sudden fame
A short time when many people know about you or talk about you, usually because of one event or because you were on TV or online.
Examples
- The viral video gave him his fifteen minutes of fame.
- After the video went viral, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then life went back to normal.
- She enjoyed her fifteen minutes of fame after winning the game show.
- Reality shows often give ordinary people their fifteen minutes of fame.
- In the age of social media, many people get their fifteen minutes of fame.
- She joked that winning the contest was just her fifteen minutes of fame.