faint

adjective

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\ ˈfānt

Definition of faint

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

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

faint

verb

fainted; fainting; faints

Definition of faint (Entry 2 of 3)

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

noun

Definition of faint (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from faint Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About faint

Other Words from faint

Adjective

faintish \ ˈfān-tish

\ adjective

faintishness noun

faintly adverb

faintness noun

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 Web: Adjective Memory is a tricky thing, but the immediate horror of horrible things does dampen over time, becoming more faint and less sharp. — Molly Jong-fast, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2022 Most donors feel absolutely fine after donating blood or platelets, but there is a slight chance of an experiencing an upset stomach; feeling faint or dizzy; or developing bruising, redness, or pain where the needle was inserted. — Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 19 Jan. 2022 Because some lines can be faint or hard to see with the naked eye, Ray recommends taking a photo of the result with a cell phone to confirm it. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022 The best time to watch this shower, which offers a maximum of 15 to 20 faint meteors an hour, is usually an hour or two before dawn. — Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 2 Jan. 2022 Dozens of New Yorkers, appearing ringed by a faint blue glow in front of a dark backdrop, testify in interviews that chronicle each phase of the two disasters. — New York Times, 23 Aug. 2021 Astronomers Discover a Strange Galaxy Without Dark Matter New, high-resolution observations of a faint, fluffy galaxy suggest that dark matter’s not as ubiquitous as scientists thought. — Ramin Skibba, Wired, 7 Jan. 2022 The pink rose is on her spine and its faint, fading color gives it the appearance of watercolor. — Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2021 Amid these talks, at a Christmas Eve celebration, a gust of wind blew open the doors to the town's little log church, revealing the faint sound of sleigh bells in the distance. — Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Nov. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The massive amount of blood on the ice caused several spectators to faint. — Dom Amore, courant.com, 11 Jan. 2022 Known for their strict rules and protocols, guardsmen are even expected to faint in a certain way. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 29 Dec. 2021 At which point any secret Cartesians in the cinema will faint with unbearable delight and have to be revived with a splash of Mountain Dew. — Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2021 An older person with low blood sugar could faint without warning. — BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2021 Some people who are experiencing heat exhaustion might also faint. — Washington Post, 3 July 2021 And that was before the closest thing the Rangers have to faint-inducing prospect, Josh Jung, ever took an at-bat. — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 June 2021 People who tend to faint when getting an injection can use muscle tensing practices to keep their blood pressure up. — Tara Law, Time, 7 May 2021 After 15 days, patients might experience high or low blood pressure, heart palpitations, and a tendency to faint. — Chris Smith, BGR, 10 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Make no mistake: this excessive look is not for the faint of heart–or foot. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2022 Opening a bookstore in the middle of a pandemic is not for the faint of heart. — Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jan. 2022 All of that said, running macOS on newer hardware isn't for the faint of heart, and some things just aren't going to work. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2022 But music is an industry not for the faint of heart. — Shirley Halperin, Variety, 5 Jan. 2022 The runs here aren't for the faint of heart and can only be accessed by the snowcat (or by foot). — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2021 After all, what is a museum but storage shed if no one is there to see its Great Pit of Carkoon bathroom, complete with everything from Scent of a Wookiee cologne to a jar of Admiral Ackbar’s Collector’s Envy Reliever pills for the faint of heart. — Chase Difeliciantonio, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Nov. 2021 Panerai is not for the faint of wrist, but the Panerai Luminor Due offers a smaller take on the watchmaker’s hefty sports watch. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2021 Not for the faint of heart, the newest and most extreme is The Cliff Dweller. — Courier Journal Staff, The Courier-Journal, 11 Nov. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'faint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for faint

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