Jump to:

• washed-out
  washed-out

  adjective

  faded, especially from washing.
• washed out
  washed out

  adjective

  faded or colourless

washed-out

American  

[wosht-out, wawsht-] / ˈwɒʃtˈaʊt, ˈwɔʃt- /

adjective

1. faded, especially from washing.

2. Informal.

   1. weary; exhausted.

   2. tired-looking; wan.

---

washed out British  

adjective

1. faded or colourless

2. exhausted, esp when being pale in appearance

---

washed out Idioms  

1. Faded in color; also, lacking animation. For example, This carpet is all washed out from the sun, or He looks all washed out. [Late 1700s; early 1800s] Also see wash out, def. 3.

---

Etymology

Origin of washed-out

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

On land, habitats for hedgehogs, field voles and other small mammals have been washed out, resulting in them being pushed out of their homes and drowning.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Sri Lanka are bottom of Super Eights Group 2 on zero points, below New Zealand and Pakistan on one point each after their match on Saturday was washed out.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

American Chloe Kim washed out on her final run, falling short of a historic third consecutive snowboard gold medal at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

The storms washed out a portion of U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Hercules diverted the courses of two rivers and made them flow through the stables in a great flood that washed out the filth in no time at all.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton