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to fade away

to fade away

69 3.0
To become weaker and then disappear over time
  • phrasal verb
  • /feɪd əˈweɪ/
translation icon : desvanecerse
  • A little of God's grace, and all our problems seem to fade away.
  • slowly fade away
  • sounds fade away
  • eventually fade away

It kind of just it fades away and you can't remember details.

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Examples

  • But when that happens, time seems to fade away and nothing you do is wrong.

  • The sound of her footsteps echoed on the stone and faded away into silence.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • You just smile, and it's like all that noise fades away.

  • But as she walked, they faded away, one by one, as morning came.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Slowly, the music of the violin faded away and became part of the silence.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And then the laughter gradually fades away on this ordinary summer day.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Then, without a sound, without breaking a twig, the elk faded away into the forest.

    Academic text (2007)
  • After what seemed like forever, the voices faded away as the Jarada wandered off down the beach.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Did you try to pursue your dream as a writer, or did you just let it fade away and say, not For me, I let it fade away.

  • As the sun set, the colors of the sky began to fade away into darkness.

Synonyms

to disappear
vsto fade away
1.0

To stop being seen or to no longer be there

involves a gradual process rather than sudden vanishing
to fade
vsto fade away
531 1.2

To slowly become less visible, bright, or loud

is the more general form expressing gradual weakening until it ends
to go away
vsto fade away
463 1.0

To stop being seen or felt

emphasizes a gradual weakening before it disappears completely
to wear off
vsto fade away
93 4.0

An effect or feeling that becomes less strong and then stops

is used widely for temporary reductions rather than instant loss
to melt
vsto fade away
73 2.8

To become part of the background and less clear

describes steady weakening without implying blending into surroundings
to dwindle
vsto fade away
72 5.1

To become smaller or less in number over time

is broader and often does not imply complete disappearance
to fall off
vsto fade away
49 2.6

Become less in number, amount, or quality

often implies a drop in amount rather than complete disappearance
to dissipate
vsto fade away
48 6.8

To make something spread out and disappear, for example fog or tension

stresses gradual weakening without implying breaking apart and scattering
to subside
vsto fade away
47 4.8

Become less strong, as with pain, noise, or excitement

refers to gradual calming or lessening rather than immediate vanishing
to die down
vsto fade away
46 2.7

To become less strong or loud over time

may reduce intensity without guaranteeing total disappearance
to dissolve
vsto fade away
43 3.9

To slowly disappear or become less clear

is the basic weakening process that ends in disappearance
to evaporate
vsto fade away
38 4.1

Gradually become less strong until a feeling is gone

applies the same gradual loss to feelings and conditions specifically
to recede
vsto fade away
29 4.8

To move back or become less strong

is the general gradual weakening without implying backward motion
to drop off
vsto fade away
21 3.5

To become less in number or amount

tends to imply steady weakening until it disappears rather than mere decrease
to fall away
vsto fade away
19 4.3

To become less in amount or quality

is similar but can describe small reductions without vanishing
to fade out
vsto fade away
15 3.9

Gradually become harder to see or quieter until it disappears

is broader, not limited to sight or sound
to decay
vsto fade away
  • Specialized
14 6.3

To lose electrical charge or current slowly over time

is mainly a technical process term, not a general gradual loss
to pass away
vsto fade away
12 3.5

To slowly disappear or stop existing

is a common ending term rather than describing sudden loss
to peter out
vsto fade away
9 5.6

To slowly become weaker and then stop

is a general expression for steady reduction ending completely
to taper off
vsto fade away
9 4.5

To become smaller or weaker over time until it stops

expresses the same steady reduction leading to full end
to die away
vsto fade away
8 4.2

To become quieter and then stop

is the general gradual loss until complete disappearance
to drop away
vsto fade away
2 3.3

To become less over time

is mainly about losing strength until fully gone, not just lower levels
to dwindle away
vsto fade away
1 4.6

Slowly get smaller in number or amount until nothing remains

focuses on quantity or size reduction rather than intensity
to ebb away
vsto fade away
1 5.6

To move back slowly, like water leaving a shore

is the steady loss in strength without implying a physical backward flow
to dwindle down
vsto fade away
1 5.1

To become slowly smaller or less until almost nothing remains

is the general weakening that applies to visibility or strength rather than count
to evanesce
vsto fade away
  • Literature
9.9

To disappear slowly like mist

is the common term for steady weakening until complete end
to pass off
vsto fade away
3.9

To become less strong over time

is specific to unpleasant cases not to every gradual reduction
to ebb off
vsto fade away
6.5

To flow back or become less strong slowly

is a general gradual weakening that need not involve flowing back
to start to fizzle
vsto fade away
4.8

To lose energy or interest slowly until it fades

is a casual phrase focused on enthusiasm loss rather than general ending

Antonyms

1.0

To make something larger or more in number

249 3.5

To come out from behind or under something and become visible

How Faded

to vanish
421 3.0
to disappear
1.0
to fade away
69 3.0
to fade
531 1.2
to dim
12 2.4

Surface Forms

fade away infinitive
faded away past
faded away past participle
fading away present participle
fades away third person singular

Morphology

fade + away

The meaning 'to gradually become weaker or less noticeable until disappearing' is directly built from 'fade' (to become less visible/intense) plus 'away' (off/into disappearance), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE. This verb + particle composition is common and mirrors patterns in many languages, making the sense predictable and transparent.

Etymology

Fade away comes from the image of light, colour, or sound slowly losing strength until it is gone. So fade (to lose brightness or colour) plus away gives the sense 'to become weaker or less noticeable until disappearing'.