washed-out 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwȯsht-ˈau̇t How to pronounce washed-out (audio)
Definition of washed-outnext
1
as in faded
lacking intensity of color washed-out blond hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness feeling washed-out after the endless primary season, the party's nominee needs a vacation more than anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

washed out

2 of 2

verb

past tense of wash out
1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful most of the participants in the tough training program washed out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleached
to make white or whiter by removing color the bright lights of the TV studio washed out her facial features, making her look as white as a ghost

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wore
to use up all the physical energy of that last illness washed the child out completely

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rinsed
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse wash out your bathing suit in the sink

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example 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 washed-out
Adjective
Lindsay’s nails cause the color of the nail bed to look half white and half red or brown, whereas Terry’s nails cause the nail bed to look mostly white or washed-out, per Cleveland Clinic. — Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024 This shade leans totally into nude territory without being washed-out. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 July 2024 The picture is bright, though some high-contrast shots of silhouetted objects show slightly muddy or washed-out shadow details; the contours of a lioness against a sunset are slightly indistinct, while trees against a stormy sky are a bit too light. — PCMAG, 30 May 2024 That addition is particularly important considering users have complained in Samsung's user forums and on Reddit about the current vivid setting appearing too washed-out. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Although colors aren’t reference-monitor accurate, the lifelike hues and sharp edges on words and textures create a high-quality image that doesn’t look artificially saturated or washed-out like on similar portable monitors. — Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out
  1. faded
  2. tired
  3. collapsed
  4. pale
  5. exhausted
  6. failed
  7. brightened
  8. washed
Adjective
  • Like Napoleon’s Uncle Rico, who dwells on his long-ago high-school-football days, Garrett is living in the faded aura of past glory: in his case, a 1989 video-game championship.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
  • As thousands of migrants cycled through its faded lobby, the Roosevelt turned into a lightning rod in the country’s immigration debate: both as a reminder of the depth of the crisis and as shorthand for critics opposed to the expenditure of taxpayer money on migrants.
    — Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • Robbins was mostly Black, a place built by Black people who were tired of racial conflict in Chicago.
    — D. Watkins, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Was Michelle ever tired of using the vibrator all the time in the show?
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of tired
Verb
  • The 150ft section of the pier that collapsed, which included a restroom, was being worked on after it had been damaged by storms in the past.
    — Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Yet his regime collapsed within days of the start of a coordinated rebel offensive.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of collapsed
Adjective
  • Gachot fills them with springtime blooms like garden tulips, cherry blossoms, poppies, daffodils, and pale pink ranunculus.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The moisturizer itself is a creamy, dreamy texture with a pale pink color and subtle rose scent.
    — Catherine Santino, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of pale
Adjective
  • This is why people often feel exhausted after a day filled with interruptions, even if the total workload was manageable.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • King Charles can't get involved in Prince Harry's security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of exhausted
Verb
  • The judge also denied the city’s request for a default judgment after the defendants failed to appear in court.
    — Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • But the Dodgers — as has so often been the case over the last couple of weeks — failed to tack on.
    — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of failed
Verb
  • Hollis brightened the beige-on-beige hallway entrance to her apartment by hanging a wreath of flowers on her brown door.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Hotter and brighter than the sun The OGLE data revealed several objects in the LMC and SMC that brightened by between 10 and 20 times over the course of a few months.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of brightened
Verb
  • There was a lot of talk about Aaron Rodgers being washed.
    — C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Separately, norovirus outbreaks can also spring from food that was contaminated at the source and that’s often eaten raw, like shellfish harvested from virus-laden water or produce washed with it.
    — Maggie O'Neill, SELF, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of washed

Browse Nearby Words

washed one's hands of
washed-out
washed out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on washed-out

Nglish: Translation of washed-out for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

'Blue Moon,' 'Wolf Moon,' and Other Moons to Look for Throughout the Year
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name that thing flower edition
Name That Flower Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
See All