fainthearted

[ feynt-hahr-tid ]

/ ˈfeɪntˈhɑr tɪd /

Save This Word!

adjective

lacking courage; cowardly; timorous.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

Origin of fainthearted

First recorded in 1400–50, fainthearted is from late Middle English feynt hertyd. See faint, hearted

faint·heart·ed·ly, adverb

Both Edgar and Julio shared the same smile and light-hearted manner that I remembered and appreciated from years ago.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar|Daniel Levin|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the House, Republicans passed the budget by 219-206 with the warm-hearted help of 57 Democrats.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And its mean-hearted message, in my opinion, has corrupted the social gospel.
Dear Evangelicals: You’re Being Had|Jay Michaelson|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her voice was raspy and after answering questions she paused, as if about to faint.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Smart, so smart, and darkly handsome; a practical joker, large-hearted and fun.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The faint candle-light glimmered on a ponderous gilded cornice, which had also sustained violence.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
It was difficult to describe—a little sterner, a little wilder, a faint emphasis of the barbaric peering through it.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The simple honest-hearted General, who knew not the guile of their hearts, was deluded into wishing them success.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
He was looking at me with eyebrows arched, curiously, and there was a faint suggestion of hostility in the set of his mouth.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
But his head was too hot to wear a thinking cap, and no story would come at his half-hearted call.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson