1
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
washed-out blond hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
feeling washed-out after the endless primary season, the party's nominee needs a vacation more than anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
most of the participants in the tough training program washed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleached
to make white or whiter by removing color
the bright lights of the TV studio washed out her facial features, making her look as white as a ghost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wore
to use up all the physical energy of
that last illness washed the child out completely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rinsed
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse
wash out your bathing suit in the sink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of washed-out
PC Magazine, 25 July 2025
The blacks of suits and the whites of shirts and balloons look accurate and generally show strong detail in most shots, though the former can appear washed-out or lose a bit of shadow detail to muddiness depending on the shot.
—PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
Lindsay’s nails cause the color of the nail bed to look half white and half red or brown, whereas Terry’s nails cause the nail bed to look mostly white or washed-out, per Cleveland Clinic.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024
This shade leans totally into nude territory without being washed-out.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 July 2024
The picture is bright, though some high-contrast shots of silhouetted objects show slightly muddy or washed-out shadow details; the contours of a lioness against a sunset are slightly indistinct, while trees against a stormy sky are a bit too light.
—PCMAG, 30 May 2024
That addition is particularly important considering users have complained in Samsung's user forums and on Reddit about the current vivid setting appearing too washed-out.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Although colors aren’t reference-monitor accurate, the lifelike hues and sharp edges on words and textures create a high-quality image that doesn’t look artificially saturated or washed-out like on similar portable monitors.
—Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Images generally have washed-out colors and an overall dark tone.
—PC Magazine, 25 July 2025
The blacks of suits and the whites of shirts and balloons look accurate and generally show strong detail in most shots, though the former can appear washed-out or lose a bit of shadow detail to muddiness depending on the shot.
—PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
Lindsay’s nails cause the color of the nail bed to look half white and half red or brown, whereas Terry’s nails cause the nail bed to look mostly white or washed-out, per Cleveland Clinic.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024
This shade leans totally into nude territory without being washed-out.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 July 2024
The picture is bright, though some high-contrast shots of silhouetted objects show slightly muddy or washed-out shadow details; the contours of a lioness against a sunset are slightly indistinct, while trees against a stormy sky are a bit too light.
—PCMAG, 30 May 2024
That addition is particularly important considering users have complained in Samsung's user forums and on Reddit about the current vivid setting appearing too washed-out.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Although colors aren’t reference-monitor accurate, the lifelike hues and sharp edges on words and textures create a high-quality image that doesn’t look artificially saturated or washed-out like on similar portable monitors.
—Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out
Adjective
-
There is, also, something compensatory in a regard for faded footstools, thick boots and window curtains.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Dial options include matte black, tropical brown, and vintage navy, all featuring creamy Super-LumiNova GL old radium markers designed to evoke the faded lume of historic tool watches.—
Matthew Catellier,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
The tired belief that Republicans are better at handling the economy simply isn’t true.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The 150ft section of the pier that collapsed, which included a restroom, was being worked on after it had been damaged by storms in the past.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Yet his regime collapsed within days of the start of a coordinated rebel offensive.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
On a humid July afternoon, Chappell Roan is standing near the doors of a subway car, fiery red hair cloaking her pale, moonlike face.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
4 Aug. 2025
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The beach itself is a long curve of pale sand that stays shallow for quite a distance—ideal for wading and water games.—
Becca Blond,
AFAR Media,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Ortega’s hair extensions were removed and her eye makeup was toned-down, which gave way to her effortlessly exhausted countenance.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The show can be exceedingly gory — there’s a scene of exacting, exhausted revenge that comes at the hands of a rare woman warrior — but I was taken with some of the more theatrical details around these moments of violence, including the exchange of insults that precede the final battle.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
González’s defeat marks the third consecutive time that the party of Rafael Correa, the country’s most influential president this century, failed to return to the presidency.—
Gonzalo Solano and Regina Garcia Cano,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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But the Dodgers — as has so often been the case over the last couple of weeks — failed to tack on.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hollis brightened the beige-on-beige hallway entrance to her apartment by hanging a wreath of flowers on her brown door.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Jan. 2025
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Hotter and brighter than the sun The OGLE data revealed several objects in the LMC and SMC that brightened by between 10 and 20 times over the course of a few months.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
There was a lot of talk about Aaron Rodgers being washed.—
C. Isaiah Smalls II,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2025
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Separately, norovirus outbreaks can also spring from food that was contaminated at the source and that’s often eaten raw, like shellfish harvested from virus-laden water or produce washed with it.—
Maggie O'Neill,
SELF,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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