faint

[ feynt ]

/ feɪnt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: faint / fainted / fainter / fainting on Thesaurus.com

adjective, faint·er, faint·est.

lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength, etc.: a faint light; a faint color; a faint sound.

feeble or slight: faint resistance; faint praise; a faint resemblance.

feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness: faint with hunger.

lacking courage; cowardly; timorous: Faint heart never won fair maid.

Law. unfounded: a faint action.

verb (used without object)

to lose consciousness temporarily.

to lose brightness.

Archaic. to grow weak; lose spirit or courage.

noun

a temporary loss of consciousness resulting from a decreased flow of blood to the brain; a swoon: to fall into a faint.

OTHER WORDS FOR faint

1 indistinct, ill-defined, dim, faded, dull,

2 faltering, irresolute, weak.

3 languid.

4 pusillanimous, fearful, timid, dastardly.

6 pass out, black out.

See synonyms for faint on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of faint

1250–1300; Middle English <Anglo-French, Old French, past participle of faindre, variant of feindre to feign

OTHER WORDS FROM faint

fainter, nounfaint·ing·ly, adverbfaintish, adjectivefaint·ish·ness, noun

faintly, adverbfaintness, nouno·ver·faint, adjectiveo·ver·faint·ly, adverbo·ver·faint·ness, nounun·faint·ing, adjectiveun·faint·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH faint

fain, faint , feign, feint

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use faint in a sentence

As the president neared the end of his remarks, a young woman beside him began to wobble, on the verge of fainting.
“No Excuse” For Obamacare Rollout Problems|Eleanor Clift|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Clinton was hospitalized to treat a ‘clot’ Sunday after a recent illness, fainting, and concussion.
How Serious Is Hillary Clinton’s Blood Clot and Hospitalization?|Kent Sepkowitz|December 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Plus, a fainting Clinton is news if only because of the suspicion it will generate.
Hillary Clinton Faints: What Caused It?|Kent Sepkowitz|December 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Emergency rooms are full of the faint, the fainting, and the faint-hearted.
Hillary Clinton Faints: What Caused It?|Kent Sepkowitz|December 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

We will seek out our fainting couches if the president dares forget the first name of one of his sacred interrogators.
Matt Latimer: Why I Hate Town Halls and Undecided Voters|Matt Latimer|October 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
One fainting-fit succeeded to another; till at last Alphonse began to be seriously alarmed.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
Mrs. Ducksmith quickly recovered from her fainting attack, and gently pushed the solicitous Aristide away.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
To himself he added: "And what's more, my child, you'll have a little fainting affair in a few minutes, if you don't have a feed."
Uncanny Tales|Various
The Sunday evening after I came down here I had a sort of half-fainting-fit, coming home from church.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
I was nearly fainting, and at the moment of writing these lines I see the whole scene over again in all its imposing reality.
Camille (La Dame aux Camilias)|Alexandre Dumas, fils

British Dictionary definitions for faint

faint

/ (feɪnt) /

adjective

lacking clarity, brightness, volume, etca faint noise

lacking conviction or force; weakfaint praise

feeling dizzy or weak as if about to lose consciousness

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

not the faintest, not the faintest idea or not the faintest notion no idea whatsoeverI haven't the faintest

verb (intr)

to lose consciousness, esp momentarily, as through weakness

archaic, or poetic to fail or become weak, esp in hope or courage

noun

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

Derived forms of faint

fainter, nounfaintingly, adverbfaintish, adjectivefaintishness, noun

faintly, adverbfaintness, noun

Word Origin for faint

C13: from Old French, from faindre to be idle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with faint

faint

see damn with faint praise.

faint

OTHER WORDS FOR faint

Origin of faint

OTHER WORDS FROM faint

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH faint

Words related to faint

How to use faint in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for faint

Derived forms of faint

Word Origin for faint

Other Idioms and Phrases with faint