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.

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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. )

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

Any thoughts Tottenham had of landing a blow to dent their rivals' title hopes soon faded as Arsenal went into the break 2-0 up and made it three seconds into the second half.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Shares of the commercial aircraft maker were up in early trading, but faded.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

This helped researchers rule out competing theories, including the idea that the material came from older supernova explosions that slowly faded over millions of years.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

Those decisions have faded into the background, however.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Her voice echoed in the cave behind them, then faded into the silence.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

• run down
• seedy
• shabby
• tacky
• tattered
• threadbare
• worn