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

See Examples For:

washed-out washed out

But I also looked in at myself as a mother through the leaded-glass pane of our very lovely living-room windows, and I saw a washed-out woman worn down to the thinnest thread.

From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026

Celebrities like Dua Lipa and Lena Dunham have posted wistful, washed-out pictures celebrating the decennial.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

It’s funny how just the grainy, washed-out look of videotape can conjure so much melancholy.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2025

They were given the chance of redemption at the T20 World Cup, only to be put on the brink of elimination by a washed-out match against Scotland and a heavy defeat by Australia.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2024

We walked side by side down the washed-out dirt road on our way back to campus.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

If it did, the attempt to recreate the first film’s magic would’ve come with plenty of film stock and some colored gels to make sure every shot isn’t washed out in jaundiced yellow.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

When she went to see the hole for herself, it appeared unchanged, and a contractor told her that the concrete had been washed out to sea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Their fear has been the opposite mistake: reacting to price changes that will have washed out of the data by the time higher rates take effect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

England now hold an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, winning the past three games in fine fashion after the first fixture at Chester-le-Street was washed out.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Toby cleaned up the food and washed out the Tupperware in the bathroom sink, bringing everything back to the El Camino, including the wine.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss