Fade — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈfād/ (verb) /ˈfäd/ (adjective)

Meaning & Definition of Fade

Fade (verb)

  1. to lose freshness, strength, or vitality, wither
  2. to lose freshness or brilliance of color
  3. to sink away, vanish

Fade (noun)

  1. fade-out
  2. an instance of changing gradually in loudness, strength, or visibility; also, a gradual changing of one picture to another in a video sequence
  3. a fading of an automobile brake

Fade (adjective)

  1. insipid, commonplace

Fade (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cease to be visible

    "the departing ship gradually faded over the horizon"

    similar: dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, flee, fly, melt, sink, vanish, drop out of sight
    related: blank (out), clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dry up, blur, dim
    opposite: appear, materialize
    near: arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show up

  2. to make white or whiter by removing color

    "years of harsh sunlight had faded the car, which was once fire-engine red"

    similar: blanch, bleach, blench, decolorize, dull, pale, snow, wash out, whiten
    related: brighten, lighten, dim, mat, etiolate, whitewash, frost, silver
    opposite: darken, deepen, embrown
    near: blacken, blotch, checker, dapple, daub, discolor, fleck, marble, mottle, pattern, polychrome, shade, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, streak, striate, stripe, tarnish, variegate, color, dye, paint, pigment, stain, tincture, tinge, tint, burnish, polish, shine

  3. to lose bodily strength or vigor

    "began to fade after battling the disease for years"

    similar: decay, droop, emaciate, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither
    related: break down, wear out, yield, degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down
    near: convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate, gain

Fade (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in crop, trim

    similar: bob, buzz cut, crew cut, crop, Mohawk, shag, shingle, trim, beehive, big hair, bun, chignon, French twist, pageboy, pug, updo, upsweep, braid, pigtail, plait, ponytail, queue, conk, perm, permanent, comb-over, ducktail, pompadour, roach, coiffure, cut, do, haircut, hairdo, hairstyle

Related Entry: Fade (away) (verb)

Fade (away) is a different word from Fade. The synonyms below are for fade (away), not for fade.

  1. as in give out, melt (away)

    similar: evaporate, fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish, compress, condense, constrict, contract, slacken, slow (down), abate, decline, decrease, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane, alleviate, relax, flag, sink, weaken, cave (in), collapse, deflate
    opposite: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax, appear, emerge, show up, blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fade

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fade:

dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, flee, fly, melt, sink, vanish, blanch, bleach, blench, decolorize, dull, pale, snow, wash out, whiten, decay, droop, emaciate, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, drop out of sight, bob, buzz cut, crew cut, crop, Mohawk, shag, shingle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fade

Words with the opposite meaning of Fade:

appear, materialize, darken, deepen, embrown

Related Words for Fade

blank (out), clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dry up, blur, dim, brighten, lighten, mat, etiolate, whitewash, frost, silver, break down, wear out, yield, degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down

Near Antonyms of Fade

arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show up, blacken, blotch, checker, dapple, daub, discolor, fleck, marble, mottle, pattern, polychrome, shade, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, streak, striate, stripe, tarnish, variegate, color, dye

Word Forms of Fade

Inflections: faded, fading

Derived words: fader (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Fade

Middle English, from Anglo-French *fader, from fade feeble, insipid, from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, alteration of Latin fatuus fatuous, insipid

First known use: 14th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Fade

Words & Phrases Containing Fade

fade-in, fade-out, fade to black, prefade

Frequently Asked Questions about Fade

What does "Fade" mean?

"Fade" means to lose freshness, strength, or vitality, wither. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to lose freshness, strength, or vitality, wither. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fade"?

Other words for "Fade" include dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, flee, fly and melt. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fade" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fade"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fade". Common alternatives include dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, flee, fly, melt, sink and vanish.

What is the opposite of "Fade"?

Antonyms of "Fade" include appear, materialize, darken, deepen and embrown. Near antonyms include arrive, break out, come out and emerge.

How do you use "Fade" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fade" in a sentence: "the departing ship gradually faded over the horizon"; "years of harsh sunlight had faded the car, which was once fire-engine red"; "began to fade after battling the disease for years".

Is "Fade" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fade" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Fade" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Fade" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Fade"?

"Fade" is pronounced /ˈfād/ as a verb and /ˈfäd/ as an adjective.