fainter; faintest
1
a
: hardly perceptible : dim
faint handwriting
b
: vague sense 2a
haven't the faintest idea
2
: weak, dizzy, and likely to faint
sick and faint from the pain—
Jack London
Jack London3
: lacking courage and spirit : cowardly
faint of heart
4
: lacking strength or vigor : performed, offered, or accomplished weakly or languidly
faint praise
a faint smile on her lips
5
: producing a sensation of faintness : oppressive
the faint atmosphere of a tropical port
fainted; fainting; faints
1
: to lose consciousness because of a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain
2
archaic
: to lose courage or spirit
3
archaic
: to become weak
: the physiological action of fainting
also
: the resulting condition : syncope sense 1
Synonyms
Examples of faint in a Sentence
Adjective
We heard a faint noise.
the faint glow of a distant light
There was a faint smile on her lips.
There's just a faint chance that the weather will improve by tomorrow.
a faint reminder of their former greatness
I'd better lie down; I feel faint.
She felt faint from hunger.
Verb
He always faints at the sight of blood.
She almost fainted from the pain.
She suffers from fainting spells.
Noun
shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint
Recent Examples on the WebPaul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Try observing meteors in the opposite direction from the moon to avoid its reflected light that could hinder visibility of faint particles, Lunsford suggested.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 20 Oct. 2024
After a second person fainted and was attended to, Trump asked for the doors to be opened to let some fresh air in, before being told that was not possible for security reasons.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024
Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
The film was not for the faint of stomach, with several graphic, gory scenes — but Lanthimos’ absurdist humor ensured there was also a good amount of laughter from the crowd.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for faint 
Adjective
This works, Brian says, and leans back against the wall, the dog panting less, the faint whinny of a horse, an airplane.
—Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Try observing meteors in the opposite direction from the moon to avoid its reflected light that could hinder visibility of faint particles, Lunsford suggested.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
When one teenage girl fainted in the crowd, she was helped to safety by onlookers who then offered her sips of water from their own bottles.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 20 Oct. 2024
After a second person fainted and was attended to, Trump asked for the doors to be opened to let some fresh air in, before being told that was not possible for security reasons.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
More From The Post Man faints while driving 70 mph on highway.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
The film was not for the faint of stomach, with several graphic, gory scenes — but Lanthimos’ absurdist humor ensured there was also a good amount of laughter from the crowd.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for faint
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'faint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near faint
Cite this Entry
“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faint. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
faint
2 of 3 verb
: to lose consciousness
faint
3 of 3 noun
: an act or condition of fainting
Medical Definition
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