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

faddish

3 of 3

adjective

fad·​dish ˈfadish 

ˈfaad-, 

-ēsh

1

: inclined to take up fads

… a specialty grocer that caters to faddish Manhattan foodies.

—Matthew Schifrin and Bruce Upbin, Forbes, 24 Mar. 1997

2

: constituting or resembling a fad

faddish diets

faddish clothing

faddishly adverb

faddishness noun

Many cafeterias are helping to preserve a regional cuisine that is unadulterated by faddishness.

—Jane and Michael Stern, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 1988

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

There are plenty of timeless kitchens out there, but there are also kitchen fads that don't stand the test of time. —Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 June 2026

That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock flopped. —ABC News, 13 June 2026

Noun

Wall Street is still modeling them like cyclical hardware fads. —Adam Sarhan, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

The question with anything like this is whether a stricter application of the rules is here to stay or just a fad that, much like a New Year’s resolution, starts promisingly but quickly falls away. —Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025

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