faint

1 of 3

adjective

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 painJack London
3
: 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
faintish adjective
faintishness noun
faintly adverb
faintness noun

faint

2 of 3

verb

fainted; fainting; faints

intransitive verb

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

faint

3 of 3

noun

: the physiological action of fainting
also : the resulting condition : syncope sense 1

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Depending on where the beans are harvested, vanilla may taste dark-sweet, of smoke and cherries; or earthy as chocolate and coffee; or buttery, or caramelly or plummy; or stung by the faintest numbing hint of anise. Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023 Abihai’s family papered West Maui with missing posters and chased down the faintest rumors of her presence. Jack Healy, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023 Kyle Ellison, who lives in Kula, remembers looking out his bathroom window around 3 a.m. and seeing faint flames coming from Olinda Road. Brianna Sacks, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2023 Severe symptoms of the disease can include vomiting, breathing difficulties, feeling faint, appetite changes and unexplained weight loss. Jonel Aleccia, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023 But that transaction would also likely end his season, and as Friday showed, the possibility of a return, however faint, exists. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2023 The old railroad town of Montello, the closest settlement to Zdarsky’s airport, registered a faint pulse. Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023 There’s a source of heat here, a faint scent of food there, or the crack of a twig as something moves nearby. Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023 But there’s a desire, at least from this critic, for the narrative to have more than a faint pulse, to leave us as Willie did his audiences — rapt and ready to listen again and again. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
Verb
The plane only returned to the gate once passengers began to faint. Sasha Richie, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2023 Social media posts by passengers say that the flight was delayed due to an issue with the air conditioning system, and that at least one passenger fainted and required medical attention. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023 Remarkably there were no injuries, although one of the children fainted and was unconscious for a time. Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News, 23 Aug. 2023 In Rome, several tourists have collapsed due to heat stroke this week, including a British tourist who fainted in front of the Colosseum Tuesday, according to Rome’s civil protection chief Giuseppe Napolitano. Anna Cooban, CNN, 21 July 2023 About 50 percent of fainting episodes among seniors are attributed to vasovagal syncope. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 The sound of his voice — calm, baritone, sonorous — shocks Marie, who immediately faints. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023 One of the passengers in the car fainted during the ordeal, Shariq Riaz Khattak, a rescue official at the scene, told Reuters. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 In Greece, the Acropolis, which sits under the hot sun and offers few shady areas, closed down mid-day because of the health risk posed to workers and visitors – apparently up to 25 people have been fainting from the intense heat. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
Noun
The presto of the third was kept extra-presto, with beguiling feints (or faints?) of volume in the repeating theme of the strings. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 13 May 2023 Such belonging is not for the faint of checkbook. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2023 In a recent video on the Buff Dudes channel, bodybuilder and YouTuber Hudson White spends the day eating and working out like Jackman, and soon finds that the Wolverine routine is not for the faint of heart. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 4 Apr. 2023 However, purchasing claims is not for the faint of heart, says Thomas Braziel, founder of 507 Capital, an investment company that specializes in distressed debt, which holds a large position in the Mt. Gox bankruptcy and others. WIRED, 30 Mar. 2023 But, don't be fooled as this puzzle isn't for the faint of heart. Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 14 Feb. 2023 The first half wasn’t for the faint of heart. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2023 This date isn't for the faint of heart. Janece Maze, Country Living, 2 Feb. 2023 This detox isn’t for the faint of heart. Claire Stern, ELLE, 15 Jan. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English feint, faynt "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit or courage, listless, wearied, feeble, pale," borrowed from Anglo-French, "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit, weak," from present participle of feindre, faindre "to make, fabricate, pretend, dissemble, lose heart, fade" — more at feign

Verb

Middle English feinten, faynten "to pretend, lack spirit, become enfeebled, grow weak, fade," verbal derivative of feint, faynt "deceiving, lacking in spirit, wearied" — more at faint entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of faint entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of faint was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near faint

Cite this Entry

“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faint. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

faint

1 of 3 adjective
1
: timid, cowardly
faint heart
2
: being weak, dizzy, and likely to collapse
feel faint
3
: lacking strength : weak
faint praise
4
a
: not clear or plain : dim
faint cries for help
b
: vague sense 2
haven't the faintest idea
faintly adverb
faintness noun

faint

2 of 3 verb
: to lose consciousness

faint

3 of 3 noun
: an act or condition of fainting

Medical Definition

faint

1 of 3 adjective
: weak, dizzy, and likely to faint

faint

2 of 3 intransitive verb
: to lose consciousness because of a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain

faint

3 of 3 noun
: the physiological action of fainting
also : the resulting condition : syncope

More from Merriam-Webster on faint

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