fainéant
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fainéant
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 ”; see feign, faint
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How many years has he been a roi fainéant?
From The Lily and the Cross A Tale of Acadia by De Mille, James
The lord no doubt was a fool, and filled the most foolish place in the world,—that of a silly fainéant earl.
From The Landleaguers by Trollope, Anthony
Another example is Arthur, in some romances "the blameless king," in others un roi fainéant.
From Homer and His Age by Lang, Andrew
Bull, the sixth boy in No. 7, was the only fainéant among them, though he did occasionally help to keep off the smaller fry.
From Eric by Farrar, F. W. (Frederic William)
The Invisible King is not, after all, a roi fainéant.
From God and Mr. Wells A Critical Examination of 'God the Invisible King' by Archer, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
