fade

1 of 3

verb

ˈfād 

faded; fading

intransitive verb

1

: to lose freshness, strength, or vitality : wither

fading flowers

2

: to lose freshness or brilliance of color

The fabrics faded in the strong sunshine.

3

: to sink away : vanish

a fading memory

The smile faded from his face.

4

: to change gradually in loudness, strength, or visibility: such as

a

of an electronic signal : to continuously increase or decrease in strength

—usually used with in or out

"Exit 7a, funnily enough, is where Philadelphia radio fades out and New York fades in," [William] Bolger said.

—Stephen Stirling

b

of an image or video sequence : to smoothly increase or decrease in brightness

—usually used with in or out

One scene fades out as the next scene fades in.

5

of an automobile brake : to lose braking power gradually

6

: to move back from the line of scrimmage

—used of a quarterback

7

of a ball or shot : to move in a slight to moderate slice

transitive verb

: to cause to fade

Time has not completely faded the humor of these verses.

—G. H. Genzmer

fader noun

fade

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: fade-out

b

: an instance of changing gradually in loudness, strength, or visibility

also : a gradual changing of one picture to another in a video sequence

2

: a fading of an automobile brake

3

: a slight to moderate and usually intentional slice in golf

4

: a hairstyle similar to a crew cut in which the hair on top of the head stands high

fade

3 of 3

adjective

ˈfäd 

: insipid, commonplace

Synonyms of fade

Verb

• disappear
• vanish

Examples of fade in a Sentence

Verb

The flowers were fading in the vase.

the fading light of late afternoon

She was fading fast from the effects of the pneumonia.

We watched the ship gradually fade from view as it sailed away.

The smile faded from his face.

Hopes for a quick end of the crisis are fading fast.

Their reasons for leaving have faded from memory.

He's trying to recapture the faded glory of his youth.

The band's popularity has faded in recent years.

The fabric will fade unless you protect it from the sunlight.

Noun

The movie ends with a fade to black.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The ghosts of a 37-0 shutout to Iowa less than a month ago still lingered — the boos that faded into silence, the homecoming crowd that emptied before the fourth quarter, the scoreboard stuck on humiliation. —Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025

Once summer flowers fade and growth stops, start cleaning up the garden. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025

Noun

So, while some short-term effects may not last, disease prevention remains important even after some of these effects fade. —Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 6 Nov. 2025

The same discussions circle back again and again, as memory fades or awareness slips. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French *fader, from fade feeble, insipid, from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, alteration of Latin fatuus fatuous, insipid

Noun

derivative of fade entry 1

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fade

• fade-in
• fade into the woodwork
• fade-out
• fade to black
• pre-fade

Rhymes for fade

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• braid
• clade
• dade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade
• glade

Kids Definition

fade

1 of 2 verb

ˈfād 

faded; fading

1

: to lose freshness or health

fading flowers

2

: to lose or cause to lose brightness of color

3

: to disappear gradually

a fading memory

4

: to change gradually in loudness or visibility

—used of a motion-picture image or of an electronics signal and usually with in or out

fade

2 of 2 noun

: a gradual changing of one picture to another in a motion-picture or television sequence