fame
/feɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /feɪm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfām/ (ame, mw)
fame — noun
1. the condition of being known to a very large number of people, usually because o
the condition of being known to a very large number of people, usually because of something you have done well or achieved
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
Charlotte rose to fame overnight after her song went viral on social media.
Sayaka achieved international fame for her research on coral reef conservation.
Caio's path to fame was long — he played in small venues for years.
- obscurity
the state of being unknown or forgotten
文法句型
fame + for + noun/gerund
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
fame — verb
- famepresent simple I / you / we / they
- fames3rd person singular
- faming-ing form
- famedpast simple
1. an old or formal use meaning to report or describe a person, place, or thing as
an old or formal use meaning to report or describe a person, place, or thing as having a particular quality, usually in the form 'be famed'
The duke was famed for his generosity and fair judgment.
passive: be famed for [quality]
In ancient chronicles, the city was famed as a centre of learning and philosophy.
The region is famed for its handwoven textiles and traditional dance.
Ilan is famed for his award-winning wildlife photography.
文法句型
be famed for + noun/gerund
be famed as + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('is famed', 'was famed'). The active form ('they fame him') is archaic and rarely found in modern English. Distinguish from sense 2: 'be famed for' (sense 1) means 'be reported/reputed to have a quality', whereas 'make famous' (sense 2) refers to the act of causing fame.
常見錯誤
2. to cause a person, place, or thing to become widely known and talked about by ma
to cause a person, place, or thing to become widely known and talked about by many people
The director's latest film brought fame to an unknown actress from a remote mountain village.
bring fame to [person]
A single photograph catapulted the anonymous survivor to fame as an emblem of hope.
catapult [person] to fame
That debut thriller made its young author famous in just a few weeks.
At the art fair, the young painter was made famous by a glowing review from a top critic.
- make famous
the everyday modern equivalent; not a single word but used far more often
- catapult to fame
more dramatic; implies sudden and forceful rise to fame
- obscure
to make someone or something unknown or less well-known
文法句型
fame + object
fame + object + as + noun
用法筆記
Very rare in active voice in modern English; usually appears as the past participle 'famed' (which overlaps with sense 1). This active sense is mostly found in literary or journalistic writing where the writer wants to emphasise the act of creating fame.