fade

[ feyd ]

/ feɪd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fade ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

to lose brightness or vividness of color.

to become dim, as light, or lose brightness of illumination.

to lose freshness, vigor, strength, or health: The tulips have faded.

to disappear or die gradually (often followed by away or out): His anger faded away.

Movies, Television.

to appear gradually, especially by becoming lighter (usually followed by in).
to disappear gradually, especially by becoming darker (usually followed by out).

Broadcasting, Recording.

to increase gradually in volume of sound, as in recording or broadcasting music, dialogue, etc. (usually followed by in).
to decrease gradually in volume of sound (usually followed by out).

Football. (of an offensive back, especially a quarterback) to move back toward one's own goal line, usually with the intent to pass, after receiving the snapback from center or a hand-off or lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage (usually followed by back): The quarterback was tackled while fading back for a pass.

(of an automotive brake) to undergo brake fade.

verb (used with object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

to cause to fade: Sunshine faded the drapes.

(in dice throwing) to make a wager against (the caster).

Movies, Television.

to cause (a scene) to appear gradually (usually followed by in).
to cause (a scene) to disappear gradually (usually followed by out).

Broadcasting, Recording. to cause (the volume of sound) to increase or decrease gradually (usually followed by in or out).

noun

an act or instance of fading.

Movies, Television Informal. a fade-out.

Automotive. brake fade.

Origin of fade

1275–1325; 1915–20 for def 5; Middle English faden, derivative of fade pale, dull < Anglo-French, Old French < Vulgar Latin *fatidus, for Latin fatuus fatuous

synonym study for fade

4. See disappear.

OTHER WORDS FROM fade

fad·a·ble, adjective fad·ed·ly, adverb fad·ed·ness, noun pre·fade, verb (used with object), pre·fad·ed, pre·fad·ing.

un·fad·a·ble, adjective un·fad·ed, adjective un·fad·ing, adjective well-fad·ed, adjective

Words nearby fade

fad, fadden, faddish, faddist, faddy, fade, fade away, fade out, fade-in, fade-out, fadeaway

Definition for fade out (2 of 2)

fade-out

[ feyd-out ]

/ ˈfeɪdˌaʊt /

noun

Movies, Television. a gradual decrease in the visibility of a scene.

Broadcasting, Recording. a gradual decrease in the volume of sound, especially of recorded or broadcast music, dialogue, or the like, usually ending in complete inaudibility.

a gradual disappearance or reduction: the fade-out of a brilliant career.

Origin of fade-out

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase fade out

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (1 of 2)

fade

/ (feɪd) /

verb

to lose or cause to lose brightness, colour, or clarity

(intr) to lose freshness, vigour, or youth; wither

(intr; usually foll by away or out) to vanish slowly; die out

to decrease the brightness or volume of (a television or radio programme or film sequence) or (of a television programme, etc) to decrease in this way
to decrease the volume of (a sound) in a recording system or (of a sound) to be so reduced in volume

(intr) (of the brakes of a vehicle) to lose power

to cause (a golf ball) to move with a controlled left-to-right trajectory or (of a golf ball) to veer gradually from left to right

noun

the act or an instance of fading

Derived forms of fade

fadable, adjective fadedness, noun fader, noun

Word Origin for fade

C14: from fade (adj) dull, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin fatidus (unattested), probably blend of Latin vapidus vapid + Latin fatuus fatuous

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (2 of 2)

fade-out

noun

films an optical effect in which a shot slowly disappears into darkness

a gradual reduction in signal strength in a radio or television broadcast

a gradual and temporary loss of a received radio or television signal due to atmospheric disturbances, magnetic storms, etc

a slow or gradual disappearance

verb fade out (adverb)

to decrease or cause to decrease gradually, as vision or sound in a film or broadcast

Idioms and Phrases with fade out

fade out

Gradually disappear or become inaudible; also, cause to disappear or become inaudible gradually. For example, He let the final chord fade out completely before he played the next movement. The antonym is fade in, “to appear gradually or become audible,” as in The images on the screen faded in until they could be seen clearly. These terms originated in the motion-picture and broadcasting industries, where they apply to images and sounds. [c. 1915]

Also, fade away. Quietly depart, as in “Florence Scape, Fanny Scape and their mother faded away to Boulogne” (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848). [Mid-1800s]

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fade

verb (used without object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

verb (used with object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

noun

Origin of fade

synonym study for fade

OTHER WORDS FROM fade

Words nearby fade

Definition for fade out (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of fade-out

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of fade

Word Origin for fade

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (2 of 2)

noun

verb fade out (adverb)

Idioms and Phrases with fade out

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fade

verb (used without object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

verb (used with object), fad·ed, fad·ing.

noun

Origin of fade

synonym study for fade

OTHER WORDS FROM fade

Words nearby fade

Definition for fade out (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of fade-out

Words related to fade out

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of fade

Word Origin for fade

British Dictionary definitions for fade out (2 of 2)

noun

verb fade out (adverb)

Idioms and Phrases with fade out