fade

See also: fadé

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /feɪd/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪd

Etymology 1

From Middle English fade, vad, vade (“faded, pale, withered, weak”), from Middle Dutch vade (“weak, faint, limp”), from Old French fade (“weak, witless”), of obscure origin. Probably from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, from Latin fatuus (“insipid”).

Adjective

fade (comparative fader, superlative fadest)

1. (archaic) Weak; insipid; tasteless.

   Synonym: dull

   • 1825, Francis Jeffery, review of Theodric by Thomas Campbell

     Passages that are somewhat fade.

   • 1827, Thomas De Quincey, The Last Days of Kant (published in Blackwood's Magazine)

     His masculine taste gave him a sense of something fade and ludicrous.

Translations

tasteless

• Bulgarian: блудкав (bg) (bludkav)
• Catalan: sonso (ca)
• Dutch: saai (nl), smaakloos (nl)
• Esperanto: sensuka

• French: fade (fr)
• Galician: ermelo m, calancrán m, desaborido, zonzo m, enxábido m, desalormado m, enxaroudo m, descelmoso m, esdubio m
• Greek: άγευστος (el) (ágefstos), ανούσιος (el) m (anoúsios)
• Spanish: insípido (es), insulso (es), desabrido (es), soso (es)

Noun

fade (plural fades)

1. (golf) A golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).

   Coordinate terms: slice, hook, draw

   • 2011, James Lythgoe, The Golf Swing: It's all in the hands (page 88)

     If you confine yourself to hitting straight shots while you are developing your golf swing, you are less likely to develop a preference for hitting a fade or a draw.

2. A haircut where the hair is short or shaved on the sides of the head and longer on top. See also high-top fade and low fade.

   Synonym: skin fade

3. (slang) A fight.
4. (music, cinematography) A gradual decrease in the brightness of a shot or the volume of sound or music (as a means of cutting to a new scene or starting a new song).
5. (slang) The act of disappearing from a place so as not to be found; covert departure.
   • 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things

     Ace could have done a fade. Instead, he gathered all his courage — which was not inconsiderable, even in his middle age — and went to see the Flying Corson Brothers.

Derived terms

• brake fade

Translations

golf shot that curves to the right

cinematographic effect

• Greek: ξεθώριασμα (el) n (xethóriasma)

• Italian: assolvenza f

Verb

fade (third-person singular simple present fades, present participle fading, simple past and past participle faded)

1. (transitive, golf) To hit the ball with the shot called a fade.
   • 2011, Gary McCord, Golf For Dummies (page 284)

     The Golden Bear faded the ball from left to right with great consistency, so he seldom had to worry about trouble on the left.

2. (intransitive) To grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Isaiah 24:4:

     The earth mourneth and fadeth away.

3. (intransitive) To lose freshness, color, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     [flowers] that never fade

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess‎^[1]:

     The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. To display them the walls had been tinted a vivid blue which had now faded, but the carpet, which had evidently been stored and recently relaid, retained its original turquoise.

4. (intransitive) To sink away; to disappear gradually; to grow dim; to vanish.

   The milkman's whistling faded into the distance.

   • c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:

     He makes a swanlike end, / Fading in music.

   • 1856, Eleanor Marx-Aveling (translator), Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part III Chapter XI,

     A strange thing was that Bovary, while continually thinking of Emma, was forgetting her. He grew desperate as he felt this image fading from his memory in spite of all efforts to retain it. Yet every night he dreamt of her; it was always the same dream. He drew near her, but when he was about to clasp her she fell into decay in his arms.

   • 1968 December 8, Henry Cosby; Sylvia Moy; Stevie Wonder (lyrics and music), “I’d Be a Fool Right Now”, in For Once in My Life, performed by Stevie Wonder:

     They say your love will surely fade girl
     When things go wrong and trouble calls

   • 2021 December 29, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Problems galore in 2021...”, in RAIL, number 947, page 3:

     And with that, I think we'll leave 2021's tail lamp to fade into the distance.

5. (transitive) To cause to fade.
6. (transitive, gambling) To bet against.

Synonyms

• (grow weak, lose strength): weaken, wither
• (lose freshness, color, or brightness): blanch, bleach
• (sink away): decrease, diminish, wane

Translations

to grow weak, lose strength

• Armenian: թառամել (hy) (tʿaṙamel)
• Basque: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: вехна (bg) (vehna), увяхвам (bg) (uvjahvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 褪色 (zh) (tuìshǎi)

• Danish: falme
• Dutch: verzwakken (nl), verslappen (nl), verwelken (nl) (plants)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: heikentyä (fi), heiketä (fi)
• French: s'affadir (fr), faner (fr), flétrir (fr), dépérir (fr)
• Georgian: მილევა (mileva), მიილია (miilia) (3d person past)
• German: verwelken (de) (plant)
• Greek: σβήνω (el) (svíno)
• Hungarian: halványul (hu), elhalványul (hu)
• Italian: sbiadire (it)
• Japanese: 薄れる (ja) (usureru)
• Khmer: ស្លោក (km) (slaok), រោយ (km) (rouy)
• Kyrgyz: ыраңын кетирүү (ky) (ırañın ketirüü), түсүн өчүрүү (ky) (tüsün öçürüü), боёосун кетирүү (ky) (boyoosun ketirüü), көркөмүн кетирүү (ky) (körkömün ketirüü)

• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: defluo
• Maori: taero, māwhe, horotea (refers to colours), mātaotao (of feelings), tāromaroma (of strength, reputation, importance), pāitiiti (of sound)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Nepali: निभ्नु (nibhnu), उड्नु (uḍnu)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svekkes (reflexive), forgå (no), falme

• Polish: więdnąć (pl) impf, zwiędnąć pf
• Portuguese: desfalecer (pt), estiolar
• Romanian: apune (ro)
• Russian: вя́нуть (ru) impf (vjánutʹ), увяда́ть (ru) impf (uvjadátʹ) (esp. of flowers);(of signal,process) затуха́ть (ru) impf (zatuxátʹ)
• Spanish: atenuar (es), disminuir (es)
• Swedish: avtyna (sv), vekna (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Tibetan: ཡལ (yal)
• Vietnamese: nhòa (vi)

to lose freshness, brightness

• Armenian: գունաթափվել (hy) (gunatʿapʿvel)
• Bulgarian: избелявам (bg) (izbeljavam), обезцветявам се (obezcvetjavam se)
• Cherokee: ᎠᏍᎪᎸᎦ (asgolvga)
• Dutch: verbleken (nl), verwelken (nl)
• Finnish: haalistua (fi), kauhtua, himmetä (fi), haaltua
• French: s'affadir (fr), s'estomper (fr)
• Georgian: გაბაცება (gabaceba), გამქრქალება (gamkrkaleba)
• German: verblassen (de)
• Greek: ξεθωριάζω (el) (xethoriázo), μαραίνομαι (el) (maraínomai)
• Hungarian: halványul (hu), fakul (hu)

• Irish: tréig
• Khmer: បំបាត់ពណ៌ (bɑmbat poa)
• Maori: māwhe, horotea
• Polish: blaknąć (pl) impf, wyblaknąć pf, zblaknąć pf, blednąć (pl) impf, zblednąć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: desbotar (pt)
• Romanian: estompa (ro)
• Russian: выцветать (ru) impf (vycvetatʹ), обесцве́чиваться (ru) (obescvéčivatʹsja), блёкнуть (ru) impf or impf (bljóknutʹ), выгора́ть (ru) impf (vygorátʹ) (from the sun)
• Spanish: desteñir (es)
• Swedish: blekna (sv)

to vanish

• Bulgarian: заглъхвам (bg) (zaglǎhvam)
• Dutch: verzinken (nl), verdwijnen (nl), wegkwijnen (nl)
• Finnish: haihtua (fi), häipyä (fi), kaikota (fi), karkota, hämärtyä
• French: s'évanouir (fr), s'estomper (fr)
• Georgian: გაქრობა (gakroba), აორთქლება (aortkleba)
• Greek: σβήνω (el) (svíno)
• Korean: 사라지다 (ko) (sarajida)

• Maori: rerehu (from sight), tapore, tāporepore, tāromaroma, tāmatemate
• Polish: gasnąć (pl) impf, zgasnąć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: desaparecer (pt)
• Russian: исчеза́ть (ru) impf (isčezátʹ), пропада́ть (ru) impf (propadátʹ)
• Spanish: desvanecerse (es)
• Swedish: avklinga (sv)
• Vietnamese: nhòa (vi)

to cause to fade

• Finnish: haalistaa, himmentää (fi), kauhduttaa, heikentää (fi), häivyttää (fi), hämärtää, haihduttaa, karkottaa (fi)
• French: estomper (fr), affadir (fr)
• Greek: σβήνω (el) (svíno)
• Hungarian: halványít (hu), fakít (hu)
• Norman: dêteindre

• Portuguese: desbotar (pt)
• Russian: обесцве́чивать (ru) impf (obescvéčivatʹ) (cause to lose colour)
• Spanish: deslucir (es)
• Swedish: dämpa (sv)

Etymology 2

From Middle English fade, fede, of uncertain origin. Compare Old English ġefæd (“orderly, tidy, discreet, well-regulated”). See also fad.

Adjective

fade (comparative fader or more fade, superlative fadest or most fade)

1. (archaic) Strong; bold; doughty.

Anagrams

• Deaf, EDFA, FDEA, deaf

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Danish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aːdə

Adjective

fade

1. definite of fad
2. plural of fad

Noun

fade n

1. indefinite plural of fad

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Finnish

Etymology

< Swedish fader (“father”)

Noun

fade

1. (slang) father

Declension

Inflection of fade (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		fade	fadet
genitive		faden	fadejen
partitive		fadea	fadeja
illative		fadeen	fadeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		fade	fadet
accusative	nom.	fade	fadet
	gen.	faden
genitive		faden	fadejen fadeinrare
partitive		fadea	fadeja
inessive		fadessa	fadeissa
elative		fadesta	fadeista
illative		fadeen	fadeihin
adessive		fadella	fadeilla
ablative		fadelta	fadeilta
allative		fadelle	fadeille
essive		fadena	fadeina
translative		fadeksi	fadeiksi
instructive		—	fadein
abessive		fadetta	fadeitta
comitative		—	fadeineen

Possessive forms of fade (type nalle)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	fadeni	fademme
2nd person	fadesi	fadenne
3rd person	fadensa

Synonyms

• isä (standard)

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French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *fatidus, blend of Latin fatuus and vapidus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fad/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland)

  (file)

Adjective

fade (plural fades)

1. tasteless, insipid
2. boring; lukewarm

Synonyms

• (lacking in interesting features): terne, insignifiant

Descendants

• → Swedish: fadd

Noun

fade m (plural fades)

1. (criminal slang) share of loot / booty

Verb

fade

1. inflection of fader:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “fade”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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German

Alternative forms

• fad (particularly in southern Germany and Austria)

Etymology

Borrowed from French fade, from Vulgar Latin fatidus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfaːdə/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: Pfade (only according to a regional pronunciation of this word)
• Rhymes: -aːdə

Adjective

fade (strong nominative masculine singular fader, comparative fader, superlative am fadesten or am fadsten)

1. bland, flavorless, stale, boring
   • 1922, Rudolf Steiner, Nationalökonomischer Kurs, Erster Vortrag

     Solch eine Volkswirtschaftslehre würde der Engländer fade gefunden haben. Man denkt doch über solche Dinge nicht nach, würde er gesagt haben.

     An Englishman would have thought of such an economical theory as bland. He would have said, "One doesn’t think about such things."

2. flat (of carbonated beverages)

Declension

Positive forms of fade

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist fade	sie ist fade	es ist fade	sie sind fade
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fader	fade	fades	fade
	genitive	faden	fader	faden	fader
	dative	fadem	fader	fadem	faden
	accusative	faden	fade	fades	fade
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fade	die fade	das fade	die faden
	genitive	des faden	der faden	des faden	der faden
	dative	dem faden	der faden	dem faden	den faden
	accusative	den faden	die fade	das fade	die faden
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fader	eine fade	ein fades	(keine) faden
	genitive	eines faden	einer faden	eines faden	(keiner) faden
	dative	einem faden	einer faden	einem faden	(keinen) faden
	accusative	einen faden	eine fade	ein fades	(keine) faden

Comparative forms of fade

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist fader	sie ist fader	es ist fader	sie sind fader
strong declension (without article)	nominative	faderer	fadere	faderes	fadere
	genitive	faderen	faderer	faderen	faderer
	dative	faderem	faderer	faderem	faderen
	accusative	faderen	fadere	faderes	fadere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fadere	die fadere	das fadere	die faderen
	genitive	des faderen	der faderen	des faderen	der faderen
	dative	dem faderen	der faderen	dem faderen	den faderen
	accusative	den faderen	die fadere	das fadere	die faderen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein faderer	eine fadere	ein faderes	(keine) faderen
	genitive	eines faderen	einer faderen	eines faderen	(keiner) faderen
	dative	einem faderen	einer faderen	einem faderen	(keinen) faderen
	accusative	einen faderen	eine fadere	ein faderes	(keine) faderen

Superlative forms of fade

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am fadesten er ist am fadsten	sie ist am fadesten sie ist am fadsten	es ist am fadesten es ist am fadsten	sie sind am fadesten sie sind am fadsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fadester fadster	fadeste fadste	fadestes fadstes	fadeste fadste
	genitive	fadesten fadsten	fadester fadster	fadesten fadsten	fadester fadster
	dative	fadestem fadstem	fadester fadster	fadestem fadstem	fadesten fadsten
	accusative	fadesten fadsten	fadeste fadste	fadestes fadstes	fadeste fadste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fadeste der fadste	die fadeste die fadste	das fadeste das fadste	die fadesten die fadsten
	genitive	des fadesten des fadsten	der fadesten der fadsten	des fadesten des fadsten	der fadesten der fadsten
	dative	dem fadesten dem fadsten	der fadesten der fadsten	dem fadesten dem fadsten	den fadesten den fadsten
	accusative	den fadesten den fadsten	die fadeste die fadste	das fadeste das fadste	die fadesten die fadsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fadester ein fadster	eine fadeste eine fadste	ein fadestes ein fadstes	(keine) fadesten (keine) fadsten
	genitive	eines fadesten eines fadsten	einer fadesten einer fadsten	eines fadesten eines fadsten	(keiner) fadesten (keiner) fadsten
	dative	einem fadesten einem fadsten	einer fadesten einer fadsten	einem fadesten einem fadsten	(keinen) fadesten (keinen) fadsten
	accusative	einen fadesten einen fadsten	eine fadeste eine fadste	ein fadestes ein fadstes	(keine) fadesten (keine) fadsten

Further reading

• “fade” in Duden online
• “fade” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

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Yola

Pronoun

fade

1. Alternative form of faade
   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1:

     Fade teil thee.

     What ails you.

References

• Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 39 & 84