Definition

Adjective: 1. Having lost color or vividness; faded: Describes something whose colors have become less bright or intense, often due to exposure to light, water, or age. 2. Extremely tired or exhausted; drained of energy or vitality: Describes a person or thing that is completely worn out and lacking strength.

Usage and Examples

• As an adjective describing faded colors:
  • The old flag was washed-out and barely recognizable.
  • She prefers bright prints to washed-out pastels.
• As an adjective describing extreme fatigue:
  • After the marathon, he felt completely washed-out.
  • The team looked washed-out after the long, difficult project.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that lacks force, distinctness, or impact.
  • His argument was a washed-out version of the original theory, lacking all its persuasive power.

Variants and Related Words

• Wash out (phrasal verb): To remove something by washing; to fade or be removed by washing; (informally) to fail or be removed from a course or position.
  • The stain will wash out easily.
  • He washed out of the pilot training program.
• Washed-up (adjective): No longer successful or effective. (Note: This is a distinct idiom meaning "finished" or "no longer relevant," not a variant of "washed-out").
• Faded (adjective): Having lost brightness or color.
• Bleached (adjective): Made white or lighter by chemical action or sunlight.

Synonyms

• For color: Faded, bleached, pale, dull, lackluster.
• For fatigue: Exhausted, drained, spent, weary, worn out, dog-tired, fatigued.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Feel washed-out: To feel extremely tired and lacking energy.
  • I need a vacation; I just feel washed-out all the time.
• Washed-out look: An appearance characterized by paleness or a lack of color, often due to tiredness or illness.
  • She had a washed-out look that concerned her friends.

Adjective

1. having lost freshness or brilliance of color
   • sun-bleached deck chairs
   • faded jeans
   • a very pale washed-out blue
   • washy colors
2. drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
   • the day's shopping left her exhausted
   • he went to bed dog-tired
   • was fagged and sweaty
   • the trembling of his played out limbs
   • felt completely washed-out
   • only worn-out horses and cattle
   • you look worn out