a temporary fashion, trend, or activity that becomes very popular for a short time before disappearing.
Origin unclear; possibly from 'fade' or dialectal English. First recorded in the 1890s, during the height of rapid fashion changes in industrial society.
The word 'fad' itself is only about 130 years old—before the 1890s, people didn't have a specific word for short-lived trends because modern consumer culture wasn't fast-moving enough to need one, showing how technology shapes language.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.