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View synonyms for

faint

[ feynt ]

adjective

fainter, faintest.
  1. lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength, etc.:

    a faint light;

    a faint color;

    a faint sound.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. feeble or slight:

    faint resistance;

    faint praise;

    a faint resemblance.

    Synonyms: ,

  3. feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness:

    faint with hunger.

    Synonyms:

  4. lacking courage; cowardly; timorous:

    Faint heart never won fair maid.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  5. Law. unfounded:

    a faint action.



verb (used without object)

  1. to lose consciousness temporarily.
  2. to lose brightness.
  3. Archaic. to grow weak; lose spirit or courage.

noun

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

    to fall into a faint.

faint

/ ڱɪԳ /

adjective

  1. lacking clarity, brightness, volume, etc

    a faint noise

  2. lacking conviction or force; weak

    faint praise

  3. feeling dizzy or weak as if about to lose consciousness
  4. without boldness or courage; timid (esp in the combination faint-hearted )
  5. not the faintest or not the faintest idea or not the faintest notion
    no idea whatsoever

    I haven't the faintest

“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

verb

  1. to lose consciousness, esp momentarily, as through weakness
  2. archaic.
    to fail or become weak, esp in hope or courage
“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

noun

  1. a sudden spontaneous loss of consciousness, usually momentary, caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the brain Technical namesyncope
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈڲԳٱ, adverb
  • ˈڲԳٲԱ, noun
  • ˈڲԳپԱ, noun
  • ˈڲԳپ, adjective
  • ˈڲԳپԲ, adverb
  • ˈڲԳٱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ڲԳİ noun
  • ڲԳiԲ· adverb
  • ڲԳi adjective
  • ڲԳi·ness noun
  • ڲԳl adverb
  • ڲԳn noun
  • v·ڲԳ adjective
  • over·ڲԳl adverb
  • over·ڲԳn noun
  • ܲ·ڲԳiԲ adjective
  • un·ڲԳl adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of faint1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French: literally, “feigned,” past participle of faindre, feindre “to feign”; feign
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Word History and Origins

Origin of faint1

C13: from Old French, from faindre to be idle
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Idioms and Phrases

see damn with faint praise .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The San Antonio Fire Department responded to the concert hall to a “report of an elderly patient who had reportedly fainted,” a spokesperson confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.

From

The faint of heart will want to close their eyes when he sews on eyelashes in one of several squirm-inducing sequences.

From

"I'm either going to faint or throw up," declared Lola Young near the start of her set last weekend.

From

Quasem also clearly remembers the faint blue tiles from his cell, now lying in pieces on the floor, which led investigators to this particular room.

From

If 1960s Beatlemania was defined by teenage girls fainting and screaming, the plan now is arguably to get Gen Z - in internet parlance - "screaming, crying, throwing up" from behind their phone screens in excitement.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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áԲԱfaintheart