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

   • (Can we date this quote by Jeffery and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Passages that are somewhat fade.

   • (Can we date this quote by De Quincey and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

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

Translations

tasteless

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

• French: fade (fr)
• Greek: άγευστος (el) (ágefstos), ανούσιος (el) m (anoúsios)
• Spanish: insípido (es)

Noun

fade (plural fades)

1. (golf) A golf shot that (for the right-handed player) curves intentionally to the right. See slice, hook, 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.
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.

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. (intransitive) To grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, Isaiah 24:4

     The earth mourneth and fadeth away.

2. (intransitive) To lose freshness, color, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 3”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], 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.

3. (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: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by 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.

4. (transitive) To cause to fade.
5. (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)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: verwelken (de) (plant)
• Greek: σβήνω (el) (svíno)
• Hungarian: halványul (hu), elhalványul (hu)
• Italian: sbiadire
• Japanese: 薄れる (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: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svekkes (reflexive), forgå, falme

• Polish: więdnąć (pl)
• 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, 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)
• Dutch: verbleken (nl), verwelken (nl)
• Finnish: haalistua (fi), kauhtua, himmetä (fi), haaltua
• French: s'affadir (fr)
• German: verblassen (de)
• Greek: ξεθωριάζω (el) (xethoriázo), μαραίνομαι (el) (maraínomai)

• Hungarian: halványul (hu), fakul (hu)
• Khmer: បំបាត់ពណ៌ (bɑmbat poa)
• Maori: māwhe, horotea
• Portuguese: desbotar (pt)
• 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)
• Greek: σβήνω (el) (svíno)
• Korean: 사라지다 (ko) (sarajida)

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

to cause to fade

• Finnish: haalistaa, himmentää (fi), kauhduttaa, heikentää (fi), häivyttää (fi), hämärtää, haihduttaa, karkottaa (fi)
• 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, 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/

Adjective

fade (plural fades)

1. tasteless, insipid
2. boring; lukewarm

Synonyms

• (lacking in interesting features): terne, insignifiant

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 (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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German

Alternative forms

• fad (particularly in southern Germany and Austria)

Etymology

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 (comparative fader, superlative am fadesten or am fadsten)

1. bland
   • 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."

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	sie ist am fadesten	es ist am fadesten	sie sind am fadesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fadester	fadeste	fadestes	fadeste
	genitive	fadesten	fadester	fadesten	fadester
	dative	fadestem	fadester	fadestem	fadesten
	accusative	fadesten	fadeste	fadestes	fadeste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fadeste	die fadeste	das fadeste	die fadesten
	genitive	des fadesten	der fadesten	des fadesten	der fadesten
	dative	dem fadesten	der fadesten	dem fadesten	den fadesten
	accusative	den fadesten	die fadeste	das fadeste	die fadesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fadester	eine fadeste	ein fadestes	(keine) fadesten
	genitive	eines fadesten	einer fadesten	eines fadesten	(keiner) fadesten
	dative	einem fadesten	einer fadesten	einem fadesten	(keinen) fadesten
	accusative	einen fadesten	eine fadeste	ein fadestes	(keine) fadesten

Superlative forms of fade

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

Further reading

• fade in Duden online