fainéant

[fey-nee-uhnt, fe-ney-ahn]

adjective

1. Also faineant idle; indolent.

noun

plural

fainéants 

1. an idler.

fainéant

/ ˈfeɪnɪənt, fɛneɑ̃ /

noun

1. a lazy person; idler

adjective

1. indolent

Other Word Forms

• faineance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

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 ”; feign, faint

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

C17: from French, modification of earlier fait-nient (he) does nothing, by folk etymology from Old French faignant shirker, from faindre to be lazy