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Synonyms

faded

American  
[fey-did] / ˈfeɪ dɪd /

adjective

  1. having lost brightness, intensity, volume, etc., as of light, color, or sound.

    She was wearing a faded polyester skirt.

  2. having lost freshness, vigor, strength, or health.

    Regular removal of faded flowers is often needed to keep annuals blooming.

  3. having gradually disappeared or died out.

    The movie’s main theme is the resuscitation of faded love.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of fade.

Other Word Forms

  • fadedly adverb
  • fadedness noun
  • unfaded adjective
  • well-faded adjective

Etymology

Origin of faded

fade ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

Like so much here, the space had a vintage feel, with old tile floors and walls hung with faded photographs of a visit to Cuba by Yasser Arafat, the long-deceased Palestinian leader.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

He smiled and said "the reality may have faded but the dream is still there and it will come back in time".

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

What has helped is that the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has faded.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Crude prices rose as U.S.-Iran ceasefire hopes faded, with Brent crude for April delivery jumping 3.9% to $106.16 a barrel.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

One day faded into another as I told her stories, all the stories she had told me about witches, and trolls, and wolves, and ogres.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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.