fade

American  

[feyd] / feɪd /

verb (used without object)

fades, present (3rd person singular) faded, past participle, past fading present participle

1. to lose brightness or vividness of color.

2. to become dim, as light, or lose brightness of illumination.

3. to lose freshness, vigor, strength, or health.

   The tulips have faded.

4. to disappear or die gradually (often followed by away orout ).

   His anger faded away.

5. Movies, Television.

   1. to appear gradually, especially by becoming lighter (usually followed byin ).

   2. to disappear gradually, especially by becoming darker (usually followed byout ).

6. Broadcasting, Recording.

   1. to increase gradually in volume of sound, as in recording or broadcasting music, dialogue, etc. (usually followed byin ).

   2. to decrease gradually in volume of sound (usually followed byout ).

7. Football. (of an offensive back, especially a quarterback) to move back toward one's own goal line, usually with the intent to pass, after receiving the snapback from center or a hand-off or lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage (usually followed byback ).

   The quarterback was tackled while fading back for a pass.

8. (of an automotive brake) to undergo brake fade.

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verb (used with object)

fades, present (3rd person singular) faded, past participle, past fading present participle

1. to cause to fade.

   Sunshine faded the drapes.

2. Movies, Television.

   1. to cause (a scene) to appear gradually (usually followed byin ).

   2. to cause (a scene) to disappear gradually (usually followed byout ).

3. Broadcasting, Recording. to cause (the volume of sound) to increase or decrease gradually (usually followed by in orout ).

4. (in dice throwing) to make a wager against (the caster).

noun

1. an act or instance of fading.

2. Movies, Television Informal. a fade-out.

3. a style of short haircut in which the hair on the top of the head is all one length, while the hair on the sides and back of the head is closely cut or shaved to a gradually shorter length from top to bottom, giving the appearance of the hair shading from darker to lighter.

4. Automotive. brake fade.

fade British  

/ feɪd /

verb

1. to lose or cause to lose brightness, colour, or clarity

2. (intr) to lose freshness, vigour, or youth; wither

3. (intr; usually foll by away or out) to vanish slowly; die out

4. 1. to decrease the brightness or volume of (a television or radio programme or film sequence) or (of a television programme, etc) to decrease in this way

   2. to decrease the volume of (a sound) in a recording system or (of a sound) to be so reduced in volume

5. (intr) (of the brakes of a vehicle) to lose power

6. to cause (a golf ball) to move with a controlled left-to-right trajectory or (of a golf ball) to veer gradually from left to right

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noun

1. the act or an instance of fading

Synonym Usage

See disappear.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unfading
  adjective
• unfadable
  adjective
• fader
  noun
• fadedness
  noun
• fadable
  adjective
• prefade
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has faded
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have faded
  perfect
• are fading
  progressive
• is fading
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been fading
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been fading
  perfect progressive
• fading
  participle
• am fading
  progressive 1st person singular
• fades
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had faded
  perfect
• was fading
  progressive singular
• were fading
  progressive plural
• had been fading
  perfect progressive
• faded
  simple
• faded
  participle

Future

• will fade
  simple
• will have faded
  perfect
• will be fading
  progressive
• will have been fading
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fade

First recorded in 1275–1325; 1915–20 fade for def. 5; Middle English faden, derivative of fade “pale, dull,” from Anglo-French, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin fatidus, for Latin fatuus fatuous

Explanation

When things fade, they gradually become less clear or more faint. When you wake up after having a strange dream, its details quickly begin to fade unless you write them down right away. Dreams usually fade once you wake up, and sunlight begins to fade toward the end of the day. Sounds can fade too, as when the music you can hear from a passing car begins to fade as it moves down the road. Disappointments in life can make your hopes and dreams fade, and the smell of cut flowers will eventually fade as well. The Old French root word, fader, means "weaken, wilt, or wither."

Example Sentences

Long after speeches, interviews and campaign events fade from public memory, images often remain.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

But that one-time financial boost will fade, signaling more trouble could be brewing if inflation, already near 4%, keeps rising unchecked.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

So while some of the show’s characters met untimely or tragic ends, Maddy came through the other side as someone more powerful: a Latina who didn’t fade into the background but, instead, commanded our attention.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Welker said he always knew the attention would fade eventually.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

“Your Excellency, our uniforms are starting to fade and we have worn-out shoes.”

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Related Words

• abate
• deteriorate
• dim
• diminish
• disappear
• dissolve
• ebb
• evaporate
• fail
• fall
• lessen
• melt
• peter out
• sink
• vanish
• wane
• weaken
• wilt
• wither