Fade Meaning
/feɪd/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjWeak; insipid; tasteless.
nounA golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).
Sentence Examples
Flowers soon fade when they have been cut.
The flame has begun to fade.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The colors on that old poster will ____ if left in direct sunlight.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bright colors of the curtains will slowly ____ if they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"His masculine taste gave him a sense of something fade and ludicrous."
— 1827, Thomas De Quincey, “The Last Days of Kant”, in Blackwood's Magazine:
"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."
— 2011, James Lythgoe, The Golf Swing: It's all in the hands, page 88:
"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."
— 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things:
"The Golden Bear faded the ball from left to right with great consistency, so he seldom had to worry about trouble on the left."
— 2011, Gary McCord, Golf For Dummies, page 284:
"The earth mourneth and fadeth away."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 24:4:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The colors on that old poster will ____ if left in direct sunlight.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bright colors of the curtains will slowly ____ if they are exposed to direct sunlight.