fad
noun
a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group.
fad
American
[fad]
/ fæd /
noun
-
fads
plural
fad
1
British
/ fæd /
noun
-
an intense but short-lived fashion; craze
-
a personal idiosyncrasy or whim
FAD
2
British
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fad
1825–35; noun use of dial. fad to look after things, busy oneself with trifles, back formation from obsolete faddle to play with, fondle. See fiddle
Explanation
If it’s all the rage, everybody’s into it, your parents don’t get it, and teenage girls across the globe are trying to outdo each other with it, it’s officially a fad. From hairstyles to hula hoops to saying “that’s hot,” fads are known to rise to crazed levels of popularity seemingly overnight. But they fade out just as fast, leaving late adopters with outdated sayings and some seriously uncool shoes. Much like a fad itself, no one has any real idea where this word came from. But it’s still in fashion some 144 years later.
Vocabulary lists containing fad
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The move towards coolcations appears to be more than just a fad.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
It’s tempting to dismiss the latest hot summer fad as the product of a postadolescent psychopathology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
“There’s no special reason they should be allowed to bypass the standard clinical trial system just because there’s a peptide fad driven by wellness influencers and telehealth firms.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“If raw milk was a fad or a lie, then why would people repeatedly buy raw milk and then tell the world how they love it,” he said.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Other people will soon follow suit, and a fad will be born and thrive for a while despite its baselessness.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
The company aims to pay out 75% to 80% of its FAD to shareholders each year in dividends—both regular and special—and stock repurchases, while boosting its base payout by 5% annually.
From Barron's ● Dec. 5, 2025
The energy contained in the electrons of these atoms is insufficient to reduce NAD+ but adequate to reduce FAD.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Two hydrogen atoms are transferred to FAD, producing FADH2.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
After optimizing the experimental conditions, she was able to use bacterial cell cultures to produce samples of the protein with the FAD correctly bound.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 15, 2022
And, as we saw at our own little FAD, even a well-policed reserve is not enough to protect the fish who freely swim outside their safe zones.
From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2016
Digital journalism is as subject to fads as any other medium.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Scientists and scholars are susceptible to career incentives, moral fads, groupthink and fear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Some also say Americans — as in the case of previous health fads — run the risk of overdoing it.
From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026
Many parents feel they're struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing fads and trends on social media.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
But such fads can persist in isolated societies.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
