faded

adjective

fad·​ed ˈfā-dəd 

1

: having lost freshness or depth of color

faded jeans

a faded photograph from 1931

2

: having weakened or diminished with the passage of time

a faded memory

I lie on the bed and look out the window then at the room's whitewashed walls with their message of past and faded glory.

—Lynne Tillman

Synonyms

• dull
• dulled
• light
• pale
• pastel
• washed-out
• washy

Examples of faded in a Sentence

rather than buy faded jeans, I get the dark blues and let time and the washing machine do their thing

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bureau told the story of a spy adrift, working in the shadow of a faded empire. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025

The image that really got me on social media this week was a faded photo of a man and woman, standing on what looks like the front steps of their home. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025

Cookbook collectors are well acquainted with the wisdom hidden on a faded page or scribbled on old recipe cards used for bookmarks. —Rai Mincey, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Its faded and dusty mansions are spangled with Italian marble floors, Mudéjar ceilings, and the fanciest European furniture of the day, now wracked by termites. —Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing faded

• pre-faded