fad /fæd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: Perhaps from fiddle-faddle ]
something that people like or do for a short time, or that is fashionable for a short time:
Interest in organic food is not a fad, it’s here to stay.
—faddish adjective
—faddishness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ fashion noun [uncountable and countable] a style of clothes, hair, behaviour etc that is fashionable. Fashion is also used as an uncountable noun, when talking about all of these styles in general:
the latest fashions from Donna Karan
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changing fashions in popular music
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I'm not interested in fashion.
▪ vogue noun [singular,uncountable] if there is a vogue for something, or it is in vogue , it is fashionable. Vogue sounds more formal and typical of the language that more educated speakers use than fashion :
the current vogue for realistic animated films
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There was a vogue for cream furniture in the 1920s.
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His pictures are very much in vogue these days.
▪ trend noun [countable] a way of doing something or a way of thinking that is becoming fashionable or popular:
The magazine focuses on the latest trends in contemporary design.
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The trend is for people to wait longer to marry and have children.
▪ craze/fad noun [countable] informal a fashion, activity, type of music etc that suddenly becomes very popular, but only remains popular for a short time – often used about things that you think are rather silly:
a new fitness craze
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the current fad for bare white walls and uncomfortable-looking metal furniture
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I'm sure it's just a passing fad (=something that will soon stop being fashionable) .
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fad diets
▪ something is all the rage formal used when saying that something is very popular and fashionable for a short time:
The game was all the rage at her school.