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

Try teal spirals or striped acid yellow tapers in silver candleholders topped with jade rings or pale blue ones that look like large format rigatoni bent into interesting shapes. —Devra Ferst, Bon Appétit, 11 Apr. 2024

Olympic organizers have long had the option of nodding to their nations’ culture in their medal designs; at the Beijing 2008 Games, medals were inlaid with a jade disk. —Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024

Elegant enough to keep on display, this jade comb is intended to stimulate the scalp, boosting circulation to the roots of the hair follicles. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024

Barrel cactuses are planted by fuzzy gray old man hairy cactus, which have a place by climbing aloe or jade or prickly pear cactuses. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024

Late last month, video cameras caught robbers making off with $100,000 worth of jade collectibles from a store on upscale Piedmont Avenue. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024

And wearing jade pendants could be useful as they are thought to remove impurities from the body. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024

Xiyuan jade | Key Features: Smooths fine lines, lifting, tightening, massaging Best for Acne-Prone Skin Sacheu Beauty Gua Sha Our Ratings Ease of Use 4.5/5 Effectiveness 4.7/5 Quality 5/5 Overall Results 4.5/5 Pros Durable stainless steel is anti-bacterial and more durable than jade or rose quartz. —Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024

This facial ice roller borrows from the original jade design but with a cool twist. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024

Verb

Antifa stands for antifascism, and fascism seems like the sort of issue on which many people—even jaded reporters—might feel obliged to pick a side. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024

Because of Sunnylands’ history and mystique, this is one tour that even jaded Palm Springs locals clamor to experience. —Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

The food has to interest palates jaded by overindulgence and yet be comforting, too. —Nigella Lawson, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2023

In the present day, things aren’t much calmer: Introduced surreptitiously smoking, child of wealth Sarah (Adwa Bader) appears jaded and bratty. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Dec. 2023

Sell being jaded by your lifestyle, sell engaging and coveting it anyways. —Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023

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

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

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.