faint

[ feynt ]

/ feɪnt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR faint 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.

Words nearby faint

faille, failure, fain, fainaigue, fainites, faint, faintheart, fainthearted, faints, fainty, fainéant

Origin of faint

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

SYNONYMS 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

OTHER WORDS FROM faint

faint·er, nounfaint·ing·ly, adverbfaint·ish, adjectivefaint·ish·ness, noun

faint·ly, adverbfaint·ness, 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. 2020

Examples from the Web for faintly

The facts are not faintly controversial for those who believe in reality: vaccination saves lives, families, and dollars.
Thank You, Croatia: All Hail Mandatory Vaccinations|Kent Sepkowitz|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you listened closely during the bleep, you could faintly hear Jacqueline Bissett still giving her speech.
Golden Globes Recap: All the Best, Weirdest Moments You (May Have) Missed|Kevin Fallon|January 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe this is The Matrix (the first one that was faintly intelligible) after all.
For Newtown Killer, a Dangerous DNA Wild-Goose Chase|Kent Sepkowitz|December 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
How do you get that “faintly falling,” that transcendent rhythm?
‘The Trial’ & More Top Film Adaptations of Literary Classics (VIDEO)|Jimmy So|November 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

With the thin, vertical scar down his right cheek, the general effect was faintly piratical.
Literary Bond Superior to Movie Version|Allen Barra|November 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She turns as pale as ashes, and drops back on the sofa, and says, faintly: 'It is my husband.
The Queen of Hearts|Wilkie Collins
It was for the moment an alarming, and yet a faintly fascinating experience.
The Return|Walter de la Mare
Stradella's heart beat fast and faintly, and his fingers trembled when they touched the strings and made the first minor chord.
Stradella|F(rancis) Marion Crawford
The music and the cheering, faintly wafted to our straining ears, was inexpressibly sweet.
My Own Story|Emmeline Pankhurst
He faintly heard what sounded like the distant sighing of innumerable treetops.
A Voyage to Arcturus|David Lindsay

British Dictionary definitions for faintly

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

Medical definitions for faintly

faint

[ fānt ]

n.

An abrupt, usually brief loss of consciousness; an attack of syncope.

adj.

Extremely weak; threatened with syncope.

Other words from faint

faint v.

Idioms and Phrases with faintly

faint

see damn with faint praise.

faint

adjective, faint·er, faint·est.

verb (used without object)

noun

Words related to faint

Words nearby faint

Origin of faint

SYNONYMS FOR faint

OTHER WORDS FROM faint

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH faint

Examples from the Web for faintly

British Dictionary definitions for faintly

adjective

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of faint

Word Origin for faint

Medical definitions for faintly

n.

adj.

Other words from faint

Idioms and Phrases with faintly