fame

fame — noun

1. the condition of being known to a very large number of people, usually because o

1.nounB2
Definition

the condition of being known to a very large number of people, usually because of something you have done well or achieved

Example

Salma dreamed of fame and fortune as a young girl growing up in Jakarta.

collocation: fame and fortune

The museum's claim to fame is its collection of ancient Chinese pottery.

collocation: claim to fame

Common collocations
  • achieve fame
  • win fame
  • international fame
  • overnight fame
  • lasting fame
  • seek fame
Synonyms
  • renown

    more formal and literary; suggests great and lasting fame

  • celebrity

    emphasises the state of being a well-known person, not just the quality

  • notoriety

    negative connotation — being famous for something bad

Antonyms
  • obscurity

    the state of being unknown or forgotten

Grammar Patterns

fame + for + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Uncountable in standard use. You cannot say 'a fame' or 'fames' to mean the general state of being famous, but set phrases like 'a claim to fame' and 'fifteen minutes of fame' are exceptions where the noun takes an article.

Common Mistakes

She is a fame singer.
She is a famous singer.
'fame' is a noun; the adjective form is 'famous'.
He gained a fame for his paintings.
He gained fame for his paintings.
'fame' is uncountable and does not take the article 'a'.
Idioms

fifteen minutes of fame

idiom

a brief period during which an ordinary person receives a lot of attention from the public, especially through the media

The video gave Ilan his fifteen minutes of fame, but within a month people had already forgotten his name.

Most reality TV contestants enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame and then return to normal life.

shoot to fame

idiom

to suddenly become famous, especially in a very short time

The young chef shot to fame after winning a national cooking competition at the age of nineteen.

Élise shot to fame when her first novel was adapted into a hit movie.

shoot to fame/stardom

idiom

To become famous very quickly, often in the entertainment industry.

The young singer shot to fame after her first album sold millions.

Did the actor shoot to stardom after that award-winning movie?

fame — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fame, renown, celebrity, reputation, and notoriety all relate to how widely someone is known, but they differ in scope and connotation. Fame is the broadest term, simply meaning 'being known by many people'. Renown is more formal and literary, suggesting lasting fame earned through great achievements (e.g. 'a writer of international renown'). Celebrity emphasises the state of being a famous person and often carries media or popular-culture associations (e.g. 'the burdens of celebrity'). Reputation refers to a specific opinion that people have about someone's character or abilities and can be good or bad (e.g. 'a reputation for honesty'). Notoriety is almost always negative, meaning 'being famous for something bad' (e.g. 'the city gained notoriety for corruption'). In everyday use: 'She achieved fame through her scientific discoveries' sounds neutral and factual; 'She achieved renown' sounds more elevated; 'She achieved notoriety' would strongly imply she did something wrong.

fame ↗renowncelebrity ↗reputation ↗notoriety

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • to (rise to fame, shoot to fame, path to fame)
  • for (famed for, known for)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'fame' comes from Latin 'fama', meaning 'report, rumour, public opinion', which itself comes from the verb 'fari' meaning 'to speak'. It passed into English through Old French 'fame' (modern French 'renommée'). The original idea was simply 'what people are saying about someone' — over time, the meaning shifted from any public talk (including rumour) to the current sense of widespread recognition and honour.