⭐ Fame Vocabulary

Part 1: Fame Collocations

Collocations are words that naturally go together. Native speakers use these combinations automatically!

Collocation	Example	Meaning
overnight success	"She became an overnight success after her first album."	Sudden fame
household name	"He's a household name in the UK."	Very famous person everyone knows
rising star	"She's a rising star in Hollywood."	Someone becoming famous
media attention	"The scandal attracted huge media attention."	Coverage by news/press
public figure	"As a public figure, he has responsibilities."	Famous person in public eye
celebrity status	"She achieved celebrity status at age 20."	Being famous

Collocation	Example
achieve fame	"He achieved fame through social media."
seek publicity	"Some celebrities constantly seek publicity."
court controversy	"The singer courts controversy with shocking outfits."
shun the limelight	"Despite his success, he shuns the limelight."
grab headlines	"The actor grabbed headlines with his comments."

1. She became an success after her viral video. (overnight/instant)

2. He's a name in the music industry. (household/family)

3. The scandal attracted massive attention. (media/press)

4. She's a star in the film industry. (rising/growing)

5. Despite his fame, he the limelight. (shuns/avoids)

Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. They make your English sound natural!

In the spotlight - Getting lots of attention
"She's been in the spotlight since winning the award."
Steal the show - Get the most attention
"The young actor stole the show with his performance."
Make a name for yourself - Become famous/respected
"He made a name for himself as a director."
Fifteen minutes of fame - Brief period of fame
"Everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame."
Flavor of the month - Temporarily popular
"He's just the flavor of the month, he'll be forgotten soon."
Household word - Very well known
"Her name became a household word overnight."
Hit the big time - Become very successful
"After years of struggle, she finally hit the big time."
Fall from grace - Lose respect/fame
"The politician's fall from grace was spectacular."

1. "She's been in the since her debut." (spotlight/limelight)

2. "He really stole the at the awards." (show/stage)

3. "She made a for herself in fashion." (name/reputation)

4. "Everyone gets their fifteen minutes of ." (fame/glory)

5. "After years of trying, he finally hit the big ." (time/league)

Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings!

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
show off	Display proudly/boastfully	"He loves showing off his new car."
look up to	Admire and respect	"I really look up to my older sister."
live up to	Meet expectations	"The film didn't live up to the hype."
blow up	Become suddenly famous	"Her career blew up after that interview."
fade away	Gradually disappear/lose fame	"Many child stars fade away as adults."
come across	Appear/seem to others	"She comes across as very confident on TV."
break through	Achieve success after trying	"He finally broke through with his third album."
cash in on	Profit from fame	"He's cashing in on his celebrity status."

Show off is usually negative - it means being too proud

Blow up is very informal - use "become famous" in formal contexts

Look up to is always positive - it shows respect and admiration

1. I really up to my teacher. (look/admire)

2. Her career up after going viral. (blew/went)

3. He loves off his expensive watch. (showing/displaying)

4. The film didn't up to expectations. (live/come)

5. Many stars away after a few years. (fade/disappear)

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