FADING Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

fading 1 of 3

adjective

as in sinking

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fading

2 of 3

noun

as in weakening

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as in passing

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fading

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fade

as in vanishing

to cease to be visible the departing ship gradually faded over the horizon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bleaching

to make white or whiter by removing color years of harsh sunlight had faded the car, which was once fire-engine red

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sagging

to lose bodily strength or vigor began to fade after battling the disease for years

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fading

Adjective

The classic budget-friendly design features a high-rise waistband that stays put, stretchy fabric that’s moisture-wicking and non-fading, and versatile colors like classic black and army green. — Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026 In Aniara, the entire natural world is simply absent, a fading, unsustainable memory of something once alive. — Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026 Livaura Retinol Anti-Aging Hand Cream Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that boosts cell turnover and collagen production, while fading wrinkles, fine lines, and reducing visible signs of aging like dullness, dark spots, and texture. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026 Thus, the wrecking ball came for the Purple Passion Pit and the rest of the complex, a monument to a fading but wonderfully hospitable era of Chicago entertainment and local entrepreneurship. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026 Later classified AT2025ulz, the object displayed similar, fading red wavelengths as GW170817. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 Dec. 2025 The film is an adaptation of the ghost novel What Happens At Night, which follows a married couple that travels to Europe to adopt a baby, staying in a cavernous, fading European hotel filled with eccentric characters. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025

Noun

This locks the fabric color to help reduce bleeding and fading. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 The deep indigo color has no fading, which gives the jeans a sleeker look, and the leg is relaxed throughout but doesn’t look slouchy. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 One factor that some have cited about Netflix’s issue with this specifically is that the binge model causes a very fast fading of many shows, especially non-hugely viral ones, from audiences’ collective memory. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 He’s handpainted, too, and made from high-density resin that resists cracking, fading, and breakage. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2026 These give the Synactif Daytime Moisturizer texture-smoothing, tone-evening, contour-sculpting, cell-renewing, age-spot-fading, and wrinkle-plumping properties. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 13 July 2026 Moreover, washing certain fabrics in hot water can do more harm than good, leading to shrinking, fading, texture changes, and other types of damage. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026 These polishes typically provide an additional disinfectant, can buff out light scratches, and some even include UV protection to prevent fading or discoloration from sun exposure. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 June 2026

Verb

Clip the plant right below the fading flowers and just above where leaves are. — Mallory Carra, The Spruce, 14 Aug. 2026 The 20th century and its musicians keep fading away — but Rush came back. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 In the late 1970s, as the mill was fading and Atlanta was beginning a period of dramatic change and gentrification, University of Georgia photography professor Barbara McKenzie began photographing the people of Cabbagetown. — Brian Unger, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 If the stock begins fading again as more supply appears, then the rally will look more like a squeeze than a reset. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest among them were too young to clearly recall the attack. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2026 That's particularly true given a rising risk of JetBlue underperforming on RASM and the fading likelihood of its consolidation with other airlines, Godyn said. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 Why Boxwoods Turn Brown The key to saving a browning boxwood is understanding why its foliage is fading to begin with, as not all causes are necessarily bad. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026 Rather than being propelled to greater heights and providing a template for how to produce future Scotland internationals, the majority are fading to part-time obscurity. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fading

Adjective

What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?

— Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.

— Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025

Definition of dying

Noun

That helped investors see the sell-off in AI infrastructure stocks that began in roughly late June and continued into July in a new light — specifically, the idea that the steep declines had reflected weakening fundamentals quickly evaporated.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
In 2024, the Fed acted decisively to get ahead of a weakening in the labor market, delivering a bold, half-point rate cut.

— Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakening

Noun

His arm talent and ability to protect the football could give FIU a more efficient passing attack.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
The three spacecraft will beam lasers at each other, looking for deviations in the travel time of those laser beams as evidence for the passing of a long-wavelength gravitational wave.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

The taboos against assassination, targeting civilians, and embarking on wars of territorial conquest are vanishing.

— Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
For a family member, an obit represents an imprimatur, validation by association, a keepsake that maintains their heritage and, perhaps for a generation, prevents their own legacy from vanishing like a walnut in the batter of eternity.

— Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of vanishing

Verb

Discoloration to Your Driveway Commercial weed killers can stain driveways by leaving behind white chalky residues, bleaching the stone, or damaging protective surface sealers.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026

Definition of bleaching

Verb

That can lead to structural problems, from drawer fronts pulling off to flimsy drawer bottoms sagging or falling out under the weight of their contents.

— Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
It can be used to lift sagging skin or prevent the skin from sagging from the start.

— Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of sagging

Adjective

The Angels fired pitching coach Mike Maddux and two other major league pitching coaches Tuesday, the latest decision in interim general manager John Mozeliak’s aggressive push to revitalize the moribund franchise.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
The report comes with Federal Reserve policymakers split on where interest rates should head in an economy where the labor market had been improving from a moribund year in 2025 while inflation has remained well above the central bank's 2% target.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of moribund

Noun

Hillsborough had come to embody all that was wrong with Sheffield Wednesday in recent times, a symbol of underinvestment and deterioration.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Initially, Cao assumed that the deterioration of particular proteins and protein networks was responsible for aging, in line with the prevailing model.

— Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of deterioration

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fading. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fading

adjective

noun

verb

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