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

• fades
  plural

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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fades
  plural

Participles

• fading
  present
• faded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fade
  simple
• fades
  simple
• have faded
  perfect
• has faded
  perfect
• am fading
  progressive
• are fading
  progressive
• is fading
  progressive
• have been fading
  perfect progressive
• has been fading
  perfect progressive

Past

• faded
  simple
• had faded
  perfect
• was fading
  progressive
• were fading
  progressive
• had been fading
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

fade fades faded fading

The building's management is overseeing the recovery of belongings, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

As the event began to fade, however, weak signatures of hydrogen and helium gas appeared.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

What separates those who last from those who fade away?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

—Bitcoin fell as hopes for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz fade, causing investors to shun risky assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

He walked away, his self-made light the last thing to fade in the dark forest.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

The data indicate many IPOs lag the broader market for up to 2½ years, as early enthusiasm fades and insider selling increases supply.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

As the song closes, she makes one last confession: “Everything fades away, except for you.”

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

The noise gradually fades and the rescuers climb the rubble, kneel and bow their heads.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

So if dispersion reaches a top and AI scarcity fades, the S&P 500 could feel the pain as the primary engine of the bull market fades.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

It’s a slightly different feeling than before but it fades before I can read it and Francia comes back.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

However, it was understandable that he faded as the match wore on, given he had trained for less than a week since returning from holiday before his 62-minute outing.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

As the light slowly faded in Tarragona, on the Mediterranean coast, a crowd looked on in almost reverent silence as the orange, late-afternoon glow gave way to amost complete darkness.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

In 25 years, it has gone from a well attended school with a successful athletics program to one that has faded into the background of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Strong second acts seem to confirm that faded stars have their mojo back, but they can be false signals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Rowdy and I watched until they faded from sight in the thick timber of the river bottoms.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

In one of the world's most AI-connected societies, the village's greatest challenge is not fading belief in fortune-telling, but the way it is consumed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Hearty slices of calamari singed on the plancha gleam in the fading sunlight.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

Eurozone bond supply is fading this month due to the seasonal issuance slowdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The effects of large tax refunds are fading.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

Our daily meals were once again taken at Mrs. Wigginbottom’s crowded table, the memories of the Mississippi hotel’s swirly menu and sinfully good food fading like steam from a teakettle.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

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