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

Her pieces, like this necklace composed of yellow jade and glass droplets in different shades of blue, are individually crafted by artisans or upcycled from vintage materials. —Ella Riley-Adams Angela Koh Jameson Montgomery Jameson Montgomery Tom Delavan, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023

More than 160 people died after heavy rain triggered a landslide in a jade mine in Hpakant in 2020. —Su Chay, CNN, 16 Aug. 2023

And Amazon bestsellers that make for great gifts—think budget-friendly jade rollers and gua sha tools—are part of the best Prime Day beauty deals too. —Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 11 Oct. 2023

The black and jade Catherine Walker design with a minimum purchase price of $100,000 (£80,220) — which was worn by the princess to a gala dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Canada, in 1991 — was bought for $571,500 (£458,484), per Daily Mail. —Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023

And Amazon bestsellers that make for great gifts—think budget-friendly jade rollers and gua sha tools—are up for grabs too. —Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 6 Sep. 2023

The group estimated Myanmar’s jade industry was worth about $31 billion in 2014, nearly half of the country’s official GDP that year. —Su Chay, CNN, 16 Aug. 2023

The final photo at the back of the book shows her hand grasping a turkey wing, bright jade nails against the golden, brown poultry. —Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023

Sprightly yuzu-pineapple kombucha and silky lattes complement the wine service, and dessert sees fat amethyst figs sunk into vanilla-bean rice pudding, crowned with the palest jade egg of wasabi ice cream and cilantro flowers. —Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2023

Verb

Janet was gorgeous, inside and out … a flawless Scandinavian beauty that literally stunned jaded Hollywood types into silence. —Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2023

By the early ‘80s, the government was losing its grip on a public jaded by violence. —Matthew Dursum, SPIN, 20 Nov. 2023

Hofmann seems way too old and jaded to sell the notion that Werner is some powerless kid forced to work alongside monsters. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023

Employees may become exhausted or jaded by constant changes at the organization. —Bypaige McGlauflin, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023

The latest look at the coming-of-age comedy sees Sandler’s lizard and Burr’s turtle, both jaded and desperate for something different after a visitor to their class suggests Leo is looking old. —Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2023

Initially, this development didn't gain much attention, as many people who have tried weight management schemes have become jaded by new products claiming to perform miracles. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023

But a lot of them are jaded, cynical people who think everyone’s corrupt. —Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 11 Sep. 2023

For much of the past 15 years, steel was a tough sell to investors who had grown jaded over persistent global gluts and cheap imports. —Thomas Biesheuvel, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2023

See More

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

• jade green
• jade plant

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.