jade

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈjād 

1

: either of two tough compact typically green gemstones that take a high polish:

a

: jadeite

b

: nephrite

2

: a sculpture or artifact of jade

3

: jade green

jade

2 of 3

verb

jaded; jading

intransitive verb

: to become weary or dulled

transitive verb

1

a

: to wear out by overwork or abuse

b

: to tire or dull through repetition or excess

2

obsolete : to make ridiculous

jade

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a broken-down, vicious, or worthless horse

2

a

: a disreputable woman

b

: a flirtatious girl

Did you know?

The English word jade that means “to weary” is not related to the name of the green stone jade. The origin of the earlier jade is uncertain. It was first used in Middle English to mean “a broken-down horse.” Later the word for a worthless horse was often applied to a woman (or, very rarely, to a man) considered worthless. Now a jade is more often a disreputable woman than a broken-down horse. Jaded, meaning “worn out,” is also derived from the equine jade. Originally, to jade a horse was to make a jade of it, to wear it out or break it down by overwork or abuse. It was not long before people, too, could be called jaded.

Synonyms

Verb

• bore
• tire
• weary

Choose the Right Synonym for jade

tire, weary, fatigue, exhaust, jade mean to make or become unable or unwilling to continue.

tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience.

the long ride tired us out

weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.

wearied of the constant arguing

fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort.

fatigued by the day's chores

exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion.

shoveling snow exhausted him

jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness.

appetites jaded by overindulgence

Examples of jade in a Sentence

Verb

a steady diet of nothing but lobster would jade the palate of even the most ardent lobster lover

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The spa treatment menu incorporates Indigenous elements such as manuka honey, energizing greenstone (a type of jade), and thermal muds drawn from the surrounding volcanic landscape. —Kendall Hill, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025

The broken bangle was remade into something else entirely: a smooth, curved jade pendant attached to a 22-karat gold chain. —Sadiya Ansari Spandita Malik, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025

Verb

Last month, Monterroso Mejia joined Rolling Stone by Zoom from her home in California to talk about what she’s learned from comedy legends, and why she’ll never be jaded. —Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025

After years of politicized law enforcement, many of us are now sufficiently jaded so as to be well past the point of shock at new examples. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French, from obsolete Spanish (piedra de la) ijada, literally, loin stone, ultimately from Latin ilia, plural, flanks; from the belief that jade cures renal colic

Noun (2)

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jade

• jade green
• jade plant

Rhymes for jade

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

Kids Definition

jade

1 of 3 noun

ˈjād 

: a broken-down, bad-tempered, or worthless horse

jade

2 of 3 verb

jaded; jading

1

a

: wear out sense 1, tire

b

: to become weary

2

: to make dull or uninterested by too much of something

jade

3 of 3 noun

: a tough usually green gemstone that takes a high polish

Etymology

Noun

Middle English jade "a broken-down or worthless horse"

Noun

from French jade "the gemstone jade," from obsolete Spanish (piedra de la) ijada, literally "stone of the loin"; ijada derived from Latin ileum "groin, ileum"

Word Origin

Gemstones were once thought to cure sickness as well as to work magic. Jade was supposed to be especially good at curing kidney problems. In the 16th century the Spanish brought jade back home from the New World. They called the gemstone piedra de la ijada, meaning "loin stone," because of their belief that jade could cure kidney disease. Spain was not the only country to value this gemstone. Jade became popular throughout western Europe both for wearing as jewelry and for curing or preventing disease. Our English word comes from French, which had borrowed the last word in the Spanish name, spelling it jade.