fade
Americanverb (used without object)
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to lose brightness or vividness of color.
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to become dim, as light, or lose brightness of illumination.
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to lose freshness, vigor, strength, or health.
The tulips have faded.
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to disappear or die gradually (often followed by away orout ).
His anger faded away.
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Movies, Television.
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to appear gradually, especially by becoming lighter (usually followed byin ).
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to disappear gradually, especially by becoming darker (usually followed byout ).
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Broadcasting, Recording.
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to increase gradually in volume of sound, as in recording or broadcasting music, dialogue, etc. (usually followed byin ).
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to decrease gradually in volume of sound (usually followed byout ).
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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.
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(of an automotive brake) to undergo brake fade.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to fade.
Sunshine faded the drapes.
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Movies, Television.
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to cause (a scene) to appear gradually (usually followed byin ).
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to cause (a scene) to disappear gradually (usually followed byout ).
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Broadcasting, Recording. to cause (the volume of sound) to increase or decrease gradually (usually followed by in orout ).
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(in dice throwing) to make a wager against (the caster).
noun
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an act or instance of fading.
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Movies, Television Informal. a fade-out.
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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.
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Automotive. brake fade.
verb
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to lose or cause to lose brightness, colour, or clarity
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(intr) to lose freshness, vigour, or youth; wither
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(intr; usually foll by away or out) to vanish slowly; die out
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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
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to decrease the volume of (a sound) in a recording system or (of a sound) to be so reduced in volume
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(intr) (of the brakes of a vehicle) to lose power
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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
noun
Synonym Usage
See disappear.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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fadednessnoun
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fadernoun
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prefadeverb (used with object)
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fadableadjective
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unfadableadjective
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unfadingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fadesimple
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fadessimple
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have fadedperfect
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has fadedperfect
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am fadingprogressive
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are fadingprogressive
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is fadingprogressive
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have been fadingperfect progressive
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has been fadingperfect progressive
Past
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fadedsimple
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had fadedperfect
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was fadingprogressive
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were fadingprogressive
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had been fadingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing fade
"The Song of Wandering Aengus" by W.B. Yeats
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"The Lotus Seed"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Sonnet 18
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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.
See Examples For:
She gives him lotus flowers to dull his pain, but as he keeps eating them, his memories and sense of identity begin to fade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
They know their cognition will continue to fade, and they might live for years in an agitated, delusional state where they’ll need round-the-clock care from people they don’t recognize.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Many stars are poor candidates because chemical signatures from swallowed planets can fade or become difficult to distinguish.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
As the afternoon wears on, the wind begins to fade and the kites slowly drift back to earth.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
Hussey continued to take meteorological readings as the summer began to fade.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
As the song closes, she makes one last confession: “Everything fades away, except for you.”
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
It means early light will tell your tired brain it is time to switch on, and it also tells your body to feel sleepy when daylight fades.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Stocks in the space sector are deepening their declines on Thursday as the SpaceX halo fades further.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 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
The guy fades into dust right in front of me.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Witkoff has become so ubiquitous in international transactions that his role as the co-founder of Trump’s business has all but faded into the gilt wallpaper of the Oval Office.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yet by the final whistle, those conversations had faded into the background.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Potosí faded in the 18th century, after even richer deposits were discovered in Mexico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Hazare's protest briefly galvanised a nationwide anti-corruption movement before its momentum quickly faded.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
The paint is more faded than I remember, and the hinge is loose.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
But experts warn the sprawling salt flats of Montenegro's Ulcinj salina, a vital stop-off for migrating flamingos, pelicans and other species, is fading fast.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
But at the same time he'd witnessed the effects of certain industries fading away in the North West of England.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
We start by accepting that the familiar culture is fading away as intelligent machines appear in our society and we do not know what is coming.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
But belief in the American dream is fading.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Now that my anger is fading, I just feel embarrassed.
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.
