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.
As the military escalation faded in the wake of the agreement, traders rapidly removed the geopolitical risk premium in oil prices, said Salih Yilmaz, senior industry analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
Gains faded, however, leaving the stock down 5.6% at $20.20.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
As the years passed, the premiere’s “Dream of the Nineties” faded into the distance.
From Salon • Jul. 1, 2026
Figures showed the drop was primarily linked to offshore wind, as a previous boost from fees linked to offshore wind faded away, with projects now entering construction.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
Framed paintings on the walls, scenes of castles in the Alps, faded and drained of color.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
