Synonym Chooser

How is the word fad distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fad are craze, fashion, mode, rage, style, and vogue. While all these words mean "the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date," fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

Where would fashion be a reasonable alternative to fad?

Although the words fashion and fad have much in common, fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

When might mode be a better fit than fad?

While the synonyms mode and fad are close in meaning, mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

How are the words rage and craze related as synonyms of fad?

Both rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

When would style be a good substitute for fad?

The words style and fad are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

When can vogue be used instead of fad?

The meanings of vogue and fad largely overlap; however, vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fad From snail mucin to placenta, skincare seems to experience one fad after another. Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 Anyone who saw the 1939 MGM musical version of The Wizard of Oz has the image of Margaret Hamilton’s tinted skin implanted in his psyche, but Chu’s posing the Barbie-pink fad against arsenic-green’s implications of danger proves reckless. Armond White, National Review, 27 Nov. 2024 For all my thirst for ghost stories as a kid, the ghost-hunting fad that came later never really captured my imagination in the same way. Elizabeth Friend, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2024 Overhead Mirror Lights Another mirror lighting fad that may date your bathroom is overhead lighting. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fad 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fad
Noun
  • Want to get the whole family into the pickleball craze?
    Madison Yauger, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Long before the resale craze, Ludot started selling secondhand clothes in the wake of Saint Laurent’s controversial 1971 Libération collection, inspired by ’40s wartime fashion in France.
    Samantha Conti, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Her rise speaks to a larger trend of young athletes understanding their worth, both on and off the field, and demanding a seat at the table.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The question came up in the two co-hosts's conversation on micro-weddings, a trend that is gaining speed due to the high costs associated with the occasion.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The latests deaths included three residents of long-term care facilities in Dallas, as well as a Balch Springs man in his 20s and a Dallas man in his 60s.
    Dana Branham, Dallas News, 30 Apr. 2020
  • That equates to more than 45 million Americans using CBD products, based on latest available U.S. Census estimates.
    Brendan Bures, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019
Noun
  • Senior fashion icons are in vogue, even given the departure of interior designer Iris Apfel who died in March at 102.
    R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Yet there’s a familiar ring here: Republicans are back in power; deregulation and spending cuts to social programs meant to protect ordinary people are back in vogue.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Another incident found the mother taking the phone from her son, which sent the boy into a fit of rage.
    Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The level of rage was a shock that should make billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy think twice before using their non-governmental, Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE— to shred industry regulation rather than reform it.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near fad

Cite this Entry

“Fad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fad. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!