faded
Americanadjective
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having lost brightness, intensity, volume, etc., as of light, color, or sound.
She was wearing a faded polyester skirt.
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having lost freshness, vigor, strength, or health.
Regular removal of faded flowers is often needed to keep annuals blooming.
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having gradually disappeared or died out.
The movie’s main theme is the resuscitation of faded love.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of faded
Explanation
Faded things have lost the bright color they once had. Your faded jeans, once dark blue but now pale and worn, might be your favorite thing to wear. Clothes become faded after being worn and washed again and again, and in many places the landscape itself seems faded in the wintertime, all dull grays and pale browns. Strength, energy, or vitality can also become faded, like a boxer toward the end of a long match. The Old French root of faded is fader, "become weak," from fade, "weak, pale, or insipid."
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.
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
Although under a somewhat faded exterior, Pacoima Middle School has flashy technology and other attributes, including expanded academic offerings, rising test scores, a robotics lab, a room of new fitness equipment and added garden space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Over time, he said, that image faded as the reality of life on the island drifted further from the Revolution's promises.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 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
She’s wearing a two-piece magenta bathing suit and a faded basketball jersey as a cover-up.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions 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.
