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 killed
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
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
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
In the good old days, that boy's mouth would have been washed out with soap.
—Mark Mondier, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
In the good old days, that boy’s mouth would have been washed out with soap.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Foot bridges will be washed out in Supai Campground.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
The storm flooded creeks, toppled trees and washed out roads, especially in Cataloochee Valley, where all trails became impassable.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2025
Armani stayed seamlessly on topic, but at the same time aimed to stage-direct the shoot to avoid looking washed out against the bright sunlight.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The California Department of Transportation said in a statement that flash floods washed out multiple sections of State Route 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains west of Big Bear Lake.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
The floods occurred following thunderstorms from Tropical Storm Mario and washed out part of State Route 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains, leaving multiple vehicles stranded and caught in mudslides on the road, NBC News reported, citing the California Department of Transportation.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Images generally have washed-out colors and an overall dark tone.
—PC Magazine, 25 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
Verb
Munising Falls, just east of the city, remains closed to visitors, according to the NPS website, after spring rains washed out more than 75 feet of the trail.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
In the good old days, that boy's mouth would have been washed out with soap.
—Mark Mondier, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
In the good old days, that boy’s mouth would have been washed out with soap.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Foot bridges will be washed out in Supai Campground.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
The storm flooded creeks, toppled trees and washed out roads, especially in Cataloochee Valley, where all trails became impassable.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2025
Armani stayed seamlessly on topic, but at the same time aimed to stage-direct the shoot to avoid looking washed out against the bright sunlight.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The California Department of Transportation said in a statement that flash floods washed out multiple sections of State Route 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains west of Big Bear Lake.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
The floods occurred following thunderstorms from Tropical Storm Mario and washed out part of State Route 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains, leaving multiple vehicles stranded and caught in mudslides on the road, NBC News reported, citing the California Department of Transportation.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out
Adjective
-
By the years of the Great Depression, the clown came to represent the faded glory of the circus and reflected the weariness felt by so many Americans in crisis.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Scherzinger’s only familiarity with the material was Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, which starred Gloria Swanson as a faded beauty of the silent era hell-bent on a return to relevance.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The sofa was so collapsed that getting up from it felt like core strength training.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
And then on Thursday, after most of the show had been written, a man collapsed in the Oval Office, generating an instantly meme-able photograph of the president staring into the camera, looking oblivious to efforts to revive the prone victim at stage left.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To honor the occasion, Reese bleached her hair and chopped it to her collarbone.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Without them, corals are ghostly white and bleached.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tens of thousands of people have been killed throughout the conflict.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The recent floods in central Vietnam killed at least 13 people, inundated over 116,000 houses and 5,000 hectares of crops, according to the government’s disaster agency, reported by Reuters.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When the wafer is rinsed, these clumps redeposit onto the surface, causing the defects.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Some filters can be rinsed under running water.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The heiress and entrepreneur has a princess moment in a romantic pale pink gown with floral appliqués and a matching cape.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
These figures, while shocking, unfortunately pale in comparison to those from the recent war, now widely recognized as a genocide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Two shivering dogs now sat in her backseat, exhausted but safe.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Surely that has increasing resonance among the politically exhausted and spiritually disenchanted.—
Abby McCloskey,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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