faint

American  

[feynt] / feɪnt /

adjective

fainter, faintest

1. lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength, etc..

   a faint light;

   a faint color;

   a faint sound.

   Synonyms:

   dull, dim, ill-defined, indistinct

2. feeble or slight.

   faint resistance;

   faint praise;

   a faint resemblance.

   Synonyms:

   weak, irresolute

3. feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness.

   faint with hunger.

   Synonyms:

   languid

4. lacking courage; cowardly; timorous.

   Faint heart never won fair maid.

   Synonyms:

   dastardly, timid, fearful, pusillanimous

5. Law. unfounded.

   a faint action.

---

verb (used without object)

faints, present (3rd person singular) fainted, past participle, past fainting present participle

1. to lose consciousness temporarily.

2. to lose brightness.

3. Archaic. to grow weak; lose spirit or courage.

noun

1. a temporary loss of consciousness resulting from a decreased flow of blood to the brain; a swoon.

   to fall into a faint.

faint British  

/ feɪnt /

adjective

1. lacking clarity, brightness, volume, etc

   a faint noise

2. lacking conviction or force; weak

   faint praise

3. feeling dizzy or weak as if about to lose consciousness

4. without boldness or courage; timid (esp in the combination faint-hearted )

5. no idea whatsoever

   I haven't the faintest

---

verb

1. to lose consciousness, esp momentarily, as through weakness

2. archaic to fail or become weak, esp in hope or courage

noun

1. Technical name: syncope.  a sudden spontaneous loss of consciousness, usually momentary, caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the brain

faint Idioms  

1. see damn with faint praise.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• faintly
  adverb
• faintish
  adjective
• overfaintness
  noun
• faintishness
  noun
• unfainting
  adjective
• fainter
  noun
• faintness
  noun
• overfaint
  adjective
• unfaintly
  adverb
• overfaintly
  adverb
• faintingly
  adverb

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has fainted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have fainted
  perfect
• am fainting
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been fainting
  perfect progressive
• has been fainting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are fainting
  progressive
• faints
  singular 3rd person
• is fainting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• fainting
  participle

Past

• had fainted
  perfect
• was fainting
  progressive singular
• were fainting
  progressive plural
• fainted
  simple
• had been fainting
  perfect progressive
• fainted
  participle

Future

• will faint
  simple
• will have fainted
  perfect
• will have been fainting
  perfect progressive
• will be fainting
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of faint

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French: literally, “feigned,” past participle of faindre, feindre “to feign”; see feign

Explanation

Something faint has no courage or vigor. If you suddenly round the corner and see a gang of bullies staring straight at you, chances are you'll feel faint. Faint comes from the French feindre, for being cowardly or shirking duties. We usually use it to mean without great strength. If you faint, you pass out, from low blood supply to your brain. If you feel faint, you feel weak. Faint also means dim or vague. If you're staring out to sea, you might see the faint outline of an approaching ship. If you really can't remember the answer to something, say you "haven't the faintest idea."

Example Sentences

Unlike bright planets, these objects are generally too faint to stand out with the naked eye.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Inside, time seemed to move differently: tennis whites drying beneath the afternoon sun, bridge rooms carrying the faint smell of cigarettes and talcum powder, elderly members reading newspapers beneath slow ceiling fans.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

All that’s left are defensive denials, evasions of Nazi collaboration and the faint hope that something higher has survived.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

The old guard held that the universe was eternal and unchanging, but in 1965 Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson discovered the faint background radiation left over from the cosmos’ earliest moments.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

I came to Eagle Island at seven the next morning, just as faint light showed on the horizon.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• delicate
• dim
• distant
• dull
• far-off
• gentle
• hazy
• inaudible
• mild
• muffled
• muted
• remote
• slight
• soft
• soothing
• stifled
• vague
• weak