swoon

American  

[swoon] / swun /

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.

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noun

1. a faint or fainting fit; syncope.

swoon British  

/ swuːn /

verb

1. a literary word for faint

2. to become ecstatic

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noun

1. an instance of fainting

Other Word Forms

• swooning
  adjective
• swooningly
  adverb
• unswooning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of swoon

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”

Explanation

To swoon is to faint, due to lack of blood to the brain. Illness, fear, stress, and even happiness can cause people to swoon. Swoon is an old-fashioned way to say "pass out": back in the day, ladies in corsets were always swooning at the slightest stress or smallest nod from a handsome man. Although this word technically means "to faint," today it has more of a positive connotation and isn't used so literally — people say they swoon when they encounter something so wonderful it makes them dizzy with joy. Chocolate cupcakes, the perfect dress, or a stellar home run could make you swoon.

Example Sentences

The controversy spooked shareholders, sending the stock into an extended swoon, with the share price falling 68% since its peak in late September.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

The theater reopened this past weekend with “The Great Bank Robbery,” a 30-minute-plus show in which audiences are encouraged to boo, hiss and swoon over the characters, a Bird Cage tradition since 1954.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

As scary as April’s Liberation Day stock swoon was, some Americans took advantage of the tumult to boost their gains in what turned out to eventually be a good year for the S&P 500.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

Ricky Martin covering “Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii,” for example, acknowledges white America’s admiration for the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer and the way we swoon for that tropical destination.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

A Tennyson garden, heavy with scent, languid; the return of the word swoon.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• pass out