What does "fade" mean?
A golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).
Fade
/fæɪd/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).
- Grammar: fade is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abate, achromatize, age, almost dissolved.
- Useful contrasts: abiding, brighter color, conspicuous cue.
- Usage evidence: Flowers soon fade when they have been cut.
How to use "fade"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fade" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fade" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fade" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fade" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fade" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fade", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).
"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 gradually ceasing to be visible wordnet
- 3 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.
- 4 a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer wordnet
- 5 A fight. slang
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 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).
- 7 The act of disappearing from a place so as not to be found; covert departure. slang
"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."
Verb
- 1 To hit the ball with the shot called a fade. transitive
"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 become feeble wordnet
- 3 To grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant. intransitive
"The earth mourneth and fadeth away."
- 4 become less clearly visible or distinguishable; disappear gradually or seemingly wordnet
- 5 To lose freshness, color, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color. intransitive
"[flowers] that never fade"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 disappear gradually wordnet
- 7 To sink away; to disappear gradually; to grow dim; to vanish. intransitive
"The milkman's whistling faded into the distance."
- 8 lose freshness, vigor, or vitality wordnet
- 9 To cause to fade. transitive
- 10 To bet against (someone). transitive
"I tried to get some bets that y'all were fixin' to get married but nobody would fade me."
Adjective
- 1 Weak; insipid; tasteless. archaic
"1825, Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, review of Theodric by Thomas Campbell Passages that are somewhat fade."
- 2 Strong; bold; doughty. archaic
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Flowers soon fade when they have been cut."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fade"?
Common synonyms include: abate, achromatize, age, almost dissolved, ante, ante up.
How do you use "fade" in a sentence?
Flowers soon fade when they have been cut.
How do you pronounce "fade"?
Pronounced /fæɪd/.
Etymology
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”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English fade, fede, of uncertain origin. Compare Old English ġefæd (“orderly, tidy, discreet, well-regulated”). See also fad.