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
-
His hopes of passing that ban on institutional housing investors appeals to members of both parties, but Democrats remain skeptical Trump is willing to muscle that through his own party.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026 -
But that reception will mask signs of discontent among some GOP lawmakers, who have become more willing to cross the president in recent months.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Screeners aren’t meant to diagnose learning disabilities like dyslexia, but rather identify areas where kids could use additional support.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
And Germany specifically has rather strict speech laws that strongly limit criticism of Israel, part of Germany’s attempts to atone for its central role in the Holocaust.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But a child could ace a standard pediatric screening and still be behind in other areas needed to be ready for kindergarten, Bode said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
With a $80K base price – the new normal in this SUV category – the 2026 Nissan Armada is ready to ride.—
Marc D. Grasso,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Torres Maldonado then willingly exited the car and was arrested.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Other clergy have willingly faced arrest for their advocacy on behalf of immigrants, seeing it as a moral calling.—
Laura E. Alexander,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some are glad that Paramount is back in the driver’s seat.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2026
-
There was little doubt Diabate was glad to be in game action again following the hiatus.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Vlasic played a steady, responsible game, allowing the more offensively inclined Doughty to create scoring chances on the back end.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Plan a snow blowing routine Some homeowners are more inclined to let a machine do the heavy work for them.—
Christina Cush,
Architectural Digest,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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