WASHED OUT Synonyms: 260 Similar and Opposite Words

washed-out 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwȯsht-ˈau̇t

Definition of washed-out

as in faded

lacking intensity of color washed-out blond hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

washed out

2 of 2

verb

past tense of wash out

as in collapsed

to be unsuccessful most of the participants in the tough training program washed out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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

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 washed-out

Adjective

Numerous roads washed-out, collapsing down into the ground. — Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 26 Apr. 2026 Images incorporated into the mayor’s video showed washed-out or collapsed roads, a car stuck in floodwaters and raging waterways. — Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 Intense flash flooding in towns like Wrightwood and Phelan in recent weeks caused devastating mudslides and washed-out roads, forcing people to be rescued by helicopter. — Zach Boetto, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026 The magic lies in its warmth, which prevents the face from looking washed-out. — María Diez, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2025 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

Verb

At least two people were killed and one person remains unaccounted for after flash flooding washed out footbridges and campgrounds on the canyon floor. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 And in Laguna Beach, back-to-back storms have eroded the sand so much that a lifeguard station was tied to the shore to make sure it wouldn’t be washed out to sea. — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 But globular cluster streams form deep inside their host galaxy, where they are washed out by brighter, more crowded starlight. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Alas, heavy rainstorms over that weekend washed out all plans. — Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 The river is particularly dangerous near Hazel Dell Parkway and 106th Street in Carmel, where fast-moving waters washed out a bridge, commissioners said. — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026 Heavy rains hammered Indiana over the past week, causing rivers to crest and setting records as roads and bridges were seriously damaged or washed out entirely by the rushing waters. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Flooding also washed out Arapahoe County Road 2 between Byers and Strasburg, according to a post from the Byers Fire Protection District. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out

Adjective

Not to mention, its faded ivy tone is the perfect autumn hue.

— Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
Ben Rahilly owns an appliance store, a gift shop, a furniture store and a concrete business in Newberry, a faded logging town about 60 miles west of the Canadian border.

— Russ McNamara, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of faded

Adjective

That was especially common among Group of 6 fans, who are tired of watching their best players and coaches getting poached by wealthier programs.

— Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
As the fascination with Ernetti grows into something unhealthy, Béatrice subtly grows more tired, more distracted, more irritable and desperate for answers, small changes Sellier conveys with a smart sense of restraint.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of tired

Verb

The only difference is that, after this race, some of the competitors collapsed to the floor with sparks flying from their insides while safety officials charged over to attend to them with fire extinguishers.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
And since then, the government collapsed, and gang warfare has spread.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of collapsed

Verb

There have also been concerns over toilet paper that is bleached, as bleaching can create dioxins, and concerns over toilet paper that includes formaldehyde, a carcinogen.

— Jillian Pretzel, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Once they are recovered, the remains are often sun-bleached, scavenged and without any recognizable features, Kaplan said.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bleached

Verb

From Minnesota and Indiana to California and Florida, people across the nation who killed others while speeding are now facing charges that carry life sentences.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Two people were killed, along with the suspect, and five were injured in a Minnesota shooting.

— Josh Feldman, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of killed

Verb

Fore says borax can cake up and leave residue behind if it isn’t fully dissolved and rinsed out.

— Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
But their work is less likely to become clichéd, because any stale fixations will always be rinsed and refreshed by the real.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of rinsed

Adjective

The pinkish squid glided two miles beneath the surface, its long, pale legs trailing from undulating fins, stunning scientists who know remarkably little about its diet, behavior or reproduction.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
If the opening sequence seemed pale and crude, there was quickly almost too much detail.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of pale

Browse Nearby Words

washed one's hands of

washed-out

washed out

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Style

“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of washed-out

adjective

verb

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