fad

1 of 2

noun (1)

: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal : craze
faddish adjective
faddishly adverb
faddishness noun
faddism noun
faddist noun
faddy adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for fad

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date.

fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

Examples of fad in a Sentence

Noun (1) She's always interested in the latest fads. once the fad for that kind of music had passed, nobody would have been caught dead listening to it
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For many who may have grown up feeling alienated for eating their cultural foods, watching these dishes become social media fads can stir feelings of defensiveness. Steffi Cao, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 For me, the concept has always felt like a dining fad from before I was born, a bit of kitschy fun but an overall limited gimmick. Dennis Lee / The Takeout, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 EVs were once the hot new fad, and all automakers, with the exception of Toyota, promised to go all electric by 2035 or earlier. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 While math is eternal, the field is practiced by humans who follow fads, and many of the old questions weren’t considered as interesting anymore. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 The Friends alum jump right into the wellness fad in her cobalt blue bikini featuring a halter-neck top and briefs. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 Dimon, who is often skeptical of new technologies and fads, said that there are about 200 people at JPMorgan dedicated to researching generative AI. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 Here’s What Would Be Impacted By A Partial Government Shutdown Agile Methodologies Become A Management Fad In the 2010s, Agile software development turned into a broader management fad. Steve Denning, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The craze over the pink and red Stanley insulated cups at Target and Starbucks is the latest example of an age-old marketing practice, where companies create buzz to fuel a fad. Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1867, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fad was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near fad

Cite this Entry

“Fad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fad. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fad

noun
: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal : craze
faddish adjective
faddist noun
faddy adjective

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on fad

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