washed out look

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   A pale, tired, or faded appearance, especially of a person's face or of colors in a photo.

   Grammar: Usually used with an or the: she had a washed out look.

   Patterns

   • have a washed out look
   • give something a washed out look

   After the long flight, he had a washed out look and dark circles under his eyes.

   The old photos have a washed out look because they sat in the sun for years.

   She added a little blush because she thought her face had a washed out look in the video.

2. 2nounsingular

   A style or design that seems weak and lacking in color or contrast.

   Grammar: Often used about rooms, clothes, or images: the room has a washed out look.

   Patterns

   • the room has a washed out look
   • a washed out look on screen

   The pale gray walls give the living room a washed out look.

   On that screen, the whole movie has a washed out look.

Common combinations

have a washed out look

You have a washed out look today; are you feeling okay?

give something a washed out look

Too much flash can give a portrait a washed out look.

a washed out complexion

The illness left her with a washed out complexion.

washed out colors

The printer produced washed out colors on the poster.

Synonyms and how they differ

pale

Pale describes light skin or weak color, but it does not suggest tiredness the way washed out often does.

faded

Faded is used mainly for things that have lost color over time, not for a person's tired face.

drained

Drained suggests having no energy left, and it is stronger and more emotional than washed out.

Opposites

Word family

wash out phrasal verb

To remove color or dirt with water, or for color to disappear.

washed-out adjective

Pale, faded, or very tired in appearance.

Commonly confused: washed out look or washed up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “washed out look”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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