fainéant

[ fey-nee-uhnt; French fe-ney-ahn ]

adjective

1. Also fai·ne·ant [] idle; indolent.

noun

, plural fai·né·ants [fey, -nee-, uh, nts, fe-ney-, ahn].

1. an idler.

fainéant

/ ˈfeɪnɪənt; fɛneɑ̃ /

noun

1. a lazy person; idler

adjective

1. indolent

Derived Forms

• ˈfaineance, noun

Other Words From

• fai·ne·ance [fey, -nee-, uh, ns], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, earlier fait-nient, literally, “he does nothing,” folk etymology of Old French faignant “idler,” noun use of present participle of se faindre “to shirk ”; feign, faint

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

C17: from French, modification of earlier fait-nient (he) does nothing, by folk etymology from Old French faignant shirker, from faindre to be lazy

Example Sentences

While a roi faineant may fulfil effectively all the essential duties of sovereignty, an autocrate faineant is an absurdity.

From Project Gutenberg

Yours is the faineant spirit of the decadent, masquerading in the garb of a sham primitivism.

From Project Gutenberg

I take it as a kingdom, and I cannot be roi faineant, with a steward for maire du palais.

From Project Gutenberg

They were the Mayors of that Palace; he only le roi faineant.

From Project Gutenberg

I'd rather marry the roughest viking that ever sailed the seas than the most accomplished faineant.

From Project Gutenberg