fade

1 of 3

verb

faded; fading

intransitive verb

1
: to lose freshness, strength, or vitality : wither
fading flowers
2
: to lose freshness or brilliance of color
The fabrics faded in the strong sunshine.
3
: to sink away : vanish
a fading memory
The smile faded from his face.
4
: to change gradually in loudness, strength, or visibility
used of a motion-picture image or of an electronics signal and usually with in or out
One scene fades out as the next scene fades in.
The radio signal faded out as we got further away from the station.
5
of an automobile brake : to lose braking power gradually
6
: to move back from the line of scrimmage
used of a quarterback
7
of a ball or shot : to move in a slight to moderate slice

transitive verb

: to cause to fade
time has not completely faded the humor of these versesG. H. Genzmer
fader noun

fade

2 of 3

noun

1
a
b
: a gradual changing of one picture to another in a motion-picture or television sequence
2
: a fading of an automobile brake
3
: a slight to moderate and usually intentional slice in golf
4
: a hairstyle similar to a crew cut in which the hair on top of the head stands high

fade

3 of 3

adjective

Examples of fade in a Sentence

Verb The flowers were fading in the vase. the fading light of late afternoon She was fading fast from the effects of the pneumonia. We watched the ship gradually fade from view as it sailed away. The smile faded from his face. Hopes for a quick end of the crisis are fading fast. Their reasons for leaving have faded from memory. He's trying to recapture the faded glory of his youth. The band's popularity has faded in recent years. The fabric will fade unless you protect it from the sunlight. Noun The movie ends with a fade to black.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Laure Prouvost’s vast tapestry ‘Above front tears’( 2024) was created with Flanders Tapestries BVBA and features fish-bird hybrid creatures, flamingos, foliage and mountains, in a washed out pastel palette evoking a fading, otherworldly paradise. Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 The easy-to-clean material holds up over multiple washes and dryer cycles, according to users, so there's no need to worry about fading. Toni Sutton, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
Alonzo Grainger, the owner of the barbershop Headspace in San Jose, said that his Black clients have consistently been asking for fades, but more people have been growing their hair out and getting braids or locs. Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2024 In light of last season’s fade, the networks have been a bit more prudent about their commitment to Colorado this time around. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fade 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French *fader, from fade feeble, insipid, from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, alteration of Latin fatuus fatuous, insipid

Noun

derivative of fade entry 1

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fade was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fade

Cite this Entry

“Fade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fade. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

fade

1 of 2 verb
faded; fading
1
: to lose freshness or health
fading flowers
2
: to lose or cause to lose brightness of color
3
: to disappear gradually
a fading memory
4
: to change gradually in loudness or visibility
used of a motion-picture image or of an electronics signal and usually with in or out

fade

2 of 2 noun
: a gradual changing of one picture to another in a motion-picture or television sequence

More from Merriam-Webster on fade

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