臭名昭著 literally means 'stinking reputation clearly displayed' — a vivid, classical compound where 臭 (chòu) conveys strong negative moral odor, 名 (míng) means 'name' or 'reputation', 昭 (zhāo) means 'clear, evident', and 著 (zhù) means 'prominent, well-known'. Together, they form a fixed four-character idiom describing someone or something widely known for extremely bad behavior or qualities — not just famous, but infamously so. It carries strong disapproval and is often used in formal writing, news reports, or historical commentary.

This term is typically applied to people (e.g., corrupt officials, war criminals), organizations (e.g., oppressive regimes), or events (e.g., scandals) with lasting, widespread negative recognition. Unlike neutral terms like 有名 (famous), 臭名昭著 always implies moral condemnation and suggests the notoriety is deserved and widely acknowledged. It's rarely used lightly or humorously — its tone is serious and weighty.