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περίφημα

splendid, excellent (also used as an exclamation: "Great!") /peˈrifima/

adjectiveB2#2155 most common

Also: famous, renowned (as attributive adjective), wonderful, great! (interjection of approval)

Example sentences

Τα φαγητά ήταν περίφημα.
The dishes were excellent.
Περίφημα! Τα καταφέραμε.
Great! We did it.
Το εστιατόριο έχει περίφημα γλυκά.
The restaurant has excellent desserts.
Τα μνημεία της πόλης είναι περίφημα σε όλο τον κόσμο.
The city's monuments are famous throughout the world.
Οι κριτικοί χαρακτήρισαν περίφημα τα αποτελέσματα της νέας παραγωγής.
The critics called the results of the new production splendid.
Παρά την οικονομική κρίση, τα περίφημα αρχαία μνημεία της πόλης εξακολουθούν να προσελκύουν εκατομμύρια επισκέπτες κάθε χρόνο.
Despite the economic crisis, the city's renowned ancient monuments still attract millions of visitors every year.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeπερίφημοπερίφημα
Genitiveπερίφημουπερίφημων
Accusativeπερίφημοπερίφημα
Vocativeπερίφημοπερίφημα

Word family

περίφημοςfamous, renowned (masculine singular citation form)
φήμηfame, reputation, rumor
διαφημίζωto advertise
δυσφήμισηdefamation, slander

Etymology

The adjective περίφημος combines the prefix περί (around, thoroughly) with a form of φήμη (fame, reputation, a thing said). Φήμη itself comes from φημί, to say or speak. So the word literally means talked about all around, which settled into the sense of famous or, in its neuter plural form περίφημα, excellent. The exclamatory use as Great! grew naturally from praising something as fame-worthy.

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