as in willing
having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action)
during the Renaissance most men of science and the arts were fain to express their noblest thoughts in Latin, the lingua franca of the learned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rather
by choice or preference
"I would fain not marry that suitor, my lord," the princess pleaded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fain
Adjective
-
October 23 – November 21 Creativity wants a stage — and willing partners.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026 -
Kia’s killing, and those of countless Iranian scientists in all parts of the country, demonstrates the lengths to which Israel and the United States are willing to go to ensure that Tehran’s ability to weaponize its nuclear program is significantly curtailed after the war ends.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Meta suggested that Kaley’s mental-health struggles were attributable not to social-media addiction but, rather, to her mother’s emotional and physical abuse and neglect, and that Kaley’s social-media use was not the source of her troubles but a way to cope with them.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Showing an new indie film in theaters rather than taking the more common route of going directly to a streaming service or video on demand or even the regional film festival circuit is a rather radical move these days.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plants are shipped in their pots, ready to grow.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Homeowners should start with bait and traps before moving on to pesticides — preferably ready-to-use ones that don’t require mixing chemicals, the agency said.—
Hali Smith
April 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Built around a tailor’s dummy, the work represents a population remade, perhaps too willingly, from an object of warfare into a tool of commodity production.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Officers said the girl and her mother willingly got into the man's car.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The whole Beaulieu family is glad to have their horse of nearly 20 years back home.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But more importantly, the Sabres were glad to get whatever had been ailing them out of their system.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the Canes seem more inclined to play him more at end this season, though that’s obviously fluid.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
This is the wing of the organization most inclined to mainstream compromise.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
