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
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
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
-
Staining not only revives faded wood but also helps protect it from sun, moisture and insects.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
-
Select a faded flower and follow the stem down, cutting it 12 inches or more below the bloom, deep into the plant to encourage more long stems.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
The toll on crew members goes far beyond simply being tired.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 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
-
Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include heavy sweating and fatigue, a weak pulse and skin that’s cool, pale or clammy, as well as headache, dizziness, nausea and fainting.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
-
The wine is a pale straw with greenish highlights, featuring aromas of green apple, lemon, and spring flowers.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
After overseeing five issues in a nine-month tenure at the helm, an exhausted Johnson returned to American Medical News full time in 1990, and Chicago Times folded several months later.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
-
The exhausted face of its owner, a tech executive ending another 14-hour workday, tells quite another.—
Pavi Theva,
Forbes.com,
26 June 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
-
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 10 Jul. 2025.
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