fad

Of English dialectal origin. Further origin obscure. Possibly from Old English ġefæd (“order, decorum”) (compare Old English ġefæd (“orderly, tidy”), fadian, ġefadian (“to set in order, arrange”), whence Middle English faden (“to arrange”)); or from French fadaise ("a trifling thought"; see fadaise).

• IPA^(key): /fæd/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -æd

fad (plural fads)

1. A phenomenon that becomes popular for a very short time.
   • 2004, Andre R. Young, "Encore", Encore:

     You're a fad, that means you're something that we've already had, but once you're gone, you don't come back.

   • 2010, Eric J. Cesal, Down Detour Road: An Architect in Search of Practice, page 134:

     The pet rock fad was started by an advertising executive named Gary Dahl. The premise was simple: take ordinary rocks, glue eyes on them, and market them as pets.

• fad diet
• faddish
• faddy

• craze
• trend

• ADF, D.F.A., DAF, DFA, FDA, daf

From French fade, from Late Latin *fatidus, a blend of Latin fatuus (“foolish”) and vapidus (“vapid”).

fad (neuter fad or fadt, plural and definite singular attributive fade)

1. insipid, bland, slightly nauseating
2. (figuratively) flat, insipid, vapid

From Old Norse fat (“vat, vessel, luggage, clothing”).

fad n (singular definite fadet, plural indefinite fade)

1. basin, bowl, dish
2. barrel, cask, vat

• fade (predominant in the northern half of Germany)

From French fade (“tasteless”).

• IPA^(key): /faːt/
• Homophones: Fahrt, Pfad (non-standard)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːt

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

1. (predominant in southern Germany and Austria) vapid, flavourless, bland

   Das Essen schmeckt fad. ― The food tastes bland.

   Synonyms: schal, langweilig, geschmacklos

2. (by extension) boring, bored

   Das war ein fader Film. ― That was a boring film.

   Mir ist so fad. ― I am so bored.

   Synonym: langweilig

From Old Irish fot, from Proto-Celtic *vad-dho-, which could be from the same root as *wāstos (“empty”).

• (Munster, Aran) IPA^(key): /fˠɑd̪ˠ/
• (Connemara, Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /fˠad̪ˠ/

fad m (genitive singular faid, nominative plural faid)

1. length

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “fot, fat”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “fad”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 289
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “fad”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “fad”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Stirling, →ISBN

From French fade.

• IPA^(key): /faːt/
  • Rhymes: -aːt

fad (masculine faden, neuter fad, comparative méi fad, superlative am faadsten)

1. bland, insipid, tasteless
2. dull, boring, bland

Borrowed from French fade.

• IPA^(key): /fad/
• Rhymes: -ad

fad m or n (feminine singular fadă, masculine plural fazi, feminine and neuter plural fade)

1. tasteless, flavorless, insipid

• searbăd, insipid, fără gust

From Old Irish fot, from Proto-Celtic *vad-dho-, which could be from the same root as *wāstos (“empty”).

fad m (genitive singular faid or faide)

1. length
2. distance
3. duration

• fada

fad

1. all, whole

   A bheil sibh fad an latha ann? ― Have you been there all the day?

• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “fad”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Stirling, →ISBN

• IPA^(key): /fad/

fad (nominative plural fads)

1. thread

• fadäd
• lefad

fad

1. Alternative form of faade
   • 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX:

     Fad didn'st thou cum t' ouz on zum other dey?

     ——————————————————

• 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 131