swoon

[swoon]

verb (used without object)

1. to faint; lose consciousness.

2. to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy.

   The teenagers swooned at the sight of the singing star.

noun

1. a faint or fainting fit; syncope.

swoon

/ swuːn /

verb

1. a literary word for faint

2. to become ecstatic

noun

1. an instance of fainting

Other Word Forms

• swooningly adverb
• unswooning adjective
• swooning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of swoon¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (verb) swo(w)nen “to faint,” originally as gerund swowening, swoghning “act of swooning,” ultimately continuing Old English -swōgan (in compounds) “to rush, overrun, choke”; Middle English (noun) partly derivative of the verb, partly extracted from in (a) swoune, on swoune, alteration of a swoune, aswoune “in a swoon,” as if equivalent to a a- ¹ + swoon (noun), but probably continuing Old English āswōgen, past participle of āswōgan “to overcome” ( a- ³ ), or geswōgen (past participle) “senseless, dead”

Word History and Origins

Origin of swoon¹

Old English geswōgen insensible, past participle of swōgan (unattested except in compounds) to suffocate

Example Sentences

There's a thrilling version of Clocks that shudders with discordant guitar riffs before resolving into a powerful chorus; and an extended acoustic version of Sparks has fans swooning.

From BBC

“That was a painful swoon, and it cost us the division, but to be part of that Ripken celebration when your team was struggling so badly took the pain away,” Hudler said.

From Los Angeles Times

Everybody swoons when they put four and five on weaker teams.

From BBC

Jason then joked that maybe he should leave, and give them some privacy, as Swift swooned.

From BBC

The result is a lovelorn duet that is punctuated by the swooning harmonies of Anthony and Aguilar.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• pass out