fade to black

verb

To end a film or a scene of a film by causing the image to be gradually dimmed into black.

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Meanings

verbfade to black (third-person singular simple present fades to black, present participle fading to black, simple past and past participle faded to black)

present singular third person fades to black · participle present fading to black · participle past faded to black · past faded to black

  1. intransitivebroadcastingTo end a film or a scene of a film by causing the image to be gradually dimmed into black.

    We don't have to fade to black / Let the sun come in

    2023, “Let the Sun Come In”, in Relentless, performed by The Pretenders
    1 more example

    They danced the famous Merengue / Now we dolly back / Now we fade to black

    1976, Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, “Haitian Divorce”, in The Royal Scam, performed by Steely Dan
nounfade to black (plural fades to black)

plural fades to black

  1. broadcastingAn ending of this kind.

Origin

From the movie industry, where it was customary to end a scene or session of filming by closing off light to the camera, sometimes for dramatic effect, but often as a practical measure.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

fade to black. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fade%20to%20black

MLA

“fade to black.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fade%20to%20black. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fade to black,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fade%20to%20black.

Source: fade to black on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.