noun HSK 5
Traditional 惡名
è míng
bad reputation · notoriety · infamy

Meaning

恶名 refers to a negative reputation or fame for bad deeds. It describes being known widely for negative reasons, such as immoral behavior, scandals, or wrongdoing. The word carries a strong negative connotation and implies lasting damage to one's reputation.

Usage

恶名 is used in formal and written contexts more than casual speech. It often appears in phrases like 恶名昭著 (notorious, infamous) or 恶名远扬 (infamy spreads far and wide). It's typically used to describe people, organizations, or places known for negative qualities.

Examples

  1. 01
    那家公司因为产品质量问题而恶名昭著。
    jiā gōngsī yīnwèi chǎnpǐn zhìliàng wèntí ér è míng zhāo zhù.
    That company is notorious for its product quality problems.
  2. 02
    他不想因为这件事背负恶名
    xiǎng yīnwèi zhè jiàn shì bēi è míng.
    He doesn't want to bear a bad reputation because of this matter.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 恶名昭著
    è míng zhāo zhù
    notorious, infamous
  • 恶名远扬
    è míng yuǎn yáng
    infamy spreads far and wide
  • 背负恶名
    bēi è míng
    to bear a bad reputation
  • 留下恶名
    liú xià è míng
    to leave behind a bad reputation

Antonyms

Origin

The compound literally means 'evil name' or 'bad name,' directly combining the character for evil/bad (恶) with the character for name/reputation (名) to convey the concept of a negative reputation.

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