I. ˈfäd, ˈfȧd adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin fatidus, alteration (influenced by Latin sapidus wise, tasty & vapidus flat-tasting) of Latin fatuus foolish, silly, tasteless — more at sage , vapid , bat (club)
: insipid , vapid , trite , commonplace
a sauce … which … struck me as rather more fade than delicate — New Yorker
II. ˈfād verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English faden, from Middle French fader, from fade
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to lose freshness, vigor, vitality, or health : languish , wither , droop
the old flowers in the vase were fading
b. : to undergo loss of the appeal or attractiveness of the young or new
Mexican wives are expected to do all the domestic work, and fade early — American Guide Series: Texas
a fading child star in Hollywood
the metaphors contained in countless words faded so long, long ago — E.S.McCartney
c. : to decline with or as if with approaching death or invalidism
a fell disease from which … she was now fading — F.M.Ford
d. : to lose force and drive and cease to be a contender
the horse faded in the stretch
e. : to lose strength : suffer loss of significance, consequence, or effectiveness : become enervated, unsubstantial, immaterial, or unreal
as optimism and security faded in the Thirties — Anthony Boucher
as the dream of building a society of Saints faded — Carl Bridenbaugh
countless small towns had boomed for a few years and then faded into ghosts — American Guide Series: Arkansas
f. of an automobile brake : to lose braking power gradually (as because of wear or temperature change of parts) — often used with out
2.
a.
(1) : to lose freshness of color : become dingy
there were vivid paintings on the entrance walls … they have not entirely faded — Green Peyton
a little mill village with faded wooden houses — American Guide Series: Vermont
(2) : to lose brilliance : change color by decreasing in saturation or increasing in lightness or both : dim
the fabrics faded in the strong sunshine
at about half-past seven, when the light was beginning to fade — Nevil Shute
the long Roman twilight faded into darkness — Herbert Agar
b. of a sound : to dwindle or die away gradually
heard at night, when daytime sounds have faded — Tom Marvel
3.
a. : to recede into indistinctness and lack of clarity of outline and detail : blur
now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight — Thomas Gray
we stood out to sea till the coastline itself began to fade — Kenneth Roberts
b. : to disappear slowly and die out in effect : lapse gradually into desuetude : pass gradually from clear consideration or memory
memories of transatlantic antecedents faded — Oscar Handlin
this story seems to have faded out of the popular mind — Norman Douglas
c. : to undergo gradual disappearance or gradual change or transition : become gradually submerged or absorbed : blend
the mountains fade into lowlands — L.D.Stamp
that nationalism might gradually fade into a universal humanism — Bertrand Russell
4.
a. : to pass gradually from a certain stage, condition, or situation
murmuring to herself and visibly fading back into the mist in which she lived — Marcia Davenport
b. : to dwindle away gradually : vanish slowly : melt away
his audience … had faded away like snow before the sun — Ernest Beaglehole
the smile faded from his face
c. : to draw back : go away or backward typically quietly, unobtrusively, or furtively : retreat , leave
the protective plumage that enabled him to fade effortlessly into the background — Hamilton Basso
you can fade away and the sergeant and I will take over — F.W.Crofts
d. of a football back : to move back from the line of scrimmage
the quarterback faded back and threw a pass
e. of a ball : to swerve from a true course : curve
f. of a coin : to wear away so that the design becomes indistinct or vanishes
5. : to switch focus of attention
you can immediately fade to the detective questioning members of the household — Richard Harrison
6.
a. : to change gradually in loudness or visibility — used of a motion-picture image or of an electronics signal or image and usually with out to specify change from loud to soft or bright to dark and with in to specify change from soft to loud or dark to bright
b. : to begin to operate or to cease to operate — used especially of a camera or piece of sound equipment and usually with out to specify decreasing operation and with in to specify increasing operation
transitive verb
1. : to cause to lose freshness or vitality : wither
time has not completely faded the humor of these verses — G.H.Genzmer
2. : to cause to alter and especially decrease in brightness, loudness, intensity, or distinctness: as
a. : to cause to change color by decreasing in saturation or increasing in lightness or both
b.
(1) : to cause (as a motion-picture, radio, or television sound or image) to change gradually in loudness or visibility — usually used with in or out
(2) : to cause (as a camera or piece of sound equipment) to begin gradually to operate or to cease to operate — usually used with in or out
3. : to accept a bet offered by (one gambling) : cover 19 ; especially : to cover all or a specified part of the center bet of (a crapshooter)
4. : to curve (a ball) to the player's off side (as in golf or bowling) — opposed to hook
Synonyms: see vanish
III. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : fade-in
b. : fade-out
2. : a gradual changing of one picture to another in a motion-picture or television sequence
3. : a fading of an automobile brake
IV. noun
1. : a slight to moderate and usually intentional slice in golf
2. : a hairstyle similar to a crew cut in which the hair on top of the head stands high