fad

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈfad 

: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal : craze

faddish

ˈfa-dish 

adjective

faddishly adverb

faddishness noun

faddism

ˈfa-ˌdi-zəm 

noun

faddist

ˈfa-dist 

noun

faddy

ˈfa-dē 

adjective

FAD

2 of 3

noun (2)

ˌef-ˌā-ˈdē 

: flavin adenine dinucleotide

faddy

3 of 3

adjective

fad·​dy ˈfadē 

ˈfaad-, 

-di

-er/-est

: faddish

Synonyms of fad

Noun (1)

• craze
• trend
• latest
• vogue
• rage

Choose the Right Synonym for fad

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date.

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

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

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

Examples of fad in a Sentence

Noun (1)

She's always interested in the latest fads.

once the fad for that kind of music had passed, nobody would have been caught dead listening to it

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Fit for a king Mai’s arrival in England coincided with a fad for Pacific cultures that had risen to new heights in 1773, when a blockbuster compilation of accounts of Pacific expeditions, which included Cook’s first voyage, was published. — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Even though denim trends evolve like any other fad, there’s far less diversity in type and style to fret over. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026

Previous spikes of popularity in the 1980s and 2010s overlapped with fad diets emphasizing low-fat and low-calorie foods, but the recent resurgence reflects viral trends like proteinmaxxing that prioritize meat, eggs and other protein-rich foods. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Cho Eun-hee | South Korea Chef and culinary educator Cho Eun-hee is helping to transform Korean food from a pop-culture fad to global fine dining. — Ashleigh Nghiem, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1867, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fad

• ad
• add
• bad
• brad
• cad
• clad
• dad
• gad
• glad
• grad
• had
• lad

Kids Definition

fad

noun

ˈfad 

: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal : craze

faddish

ˈfad-ish 

adjective

faddist

ˈfad-əst 

noun

faddy

ˈfad-ē 

adjective

Medical Definition

FAD

noun

ˌef-(ˌ)ā-ˈdē 

: flavin adenine dinucleotide