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
-
Daga points out that high-end jewelry customers are more willing to accept higher prices.—
Andrea Bossi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026 -
If tension rises, be willing to take breaks for water or snacks.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
This, more than the rather treacly spectacle of Barbra Streisand serenading the late Robert Redford, was the film history high point of the night.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This distinction is rather simple.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arkansas has become a leader in this anti-democracy celebration, with a Legislature, governor, attorney general, and state Supreme Court not only ready, willing, and able, but downright eager to enact, implement, defend, and uphold legislation designed to make a mockery of our official motto.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Seek out new opportunities and be ready to act fast on them.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
But few people who have a choice willingly sign up to be part of a gutted rebuild.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
At the heart of the issue is the danger of AI being used, willingly or not, to discriminate against consumers.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And Holter’s wife, for one, is glad.—
Celina Tebor,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
-
My husband, although always glad to see me, just isn’t an ecstatic wiggles kind of guy.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The aesthetically inclined and chronically online will have noticed the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-mania presently saturating popular culture.—
Alex Surprenant,
Vogue,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Penske figured a circuit around JerryWorld and the Globe might attract fans who aren’t inclined to drive out to TMS.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 15,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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