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
-
Much depends on whether Arab governments are willing to take ownership of Gaza—to manage it, rebuild it, and ensure Hamas or any similar terrorist group can't rise again.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025 -
Over the past couple of years, Timbaland has positioned himself as one of the few contemporary pop figures willing to fully embrace the use of artificial intelligence in music.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
On the left wing, Charlton selects a rather more famous winger, Paco Gento.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Stephen Frears’s Gothic drama is, to be fair, rather watchable — atmospheric and melancholic, with John Malkovich clearly getting a kick out of chewing any and all available scenery.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In short, children’s fantasy allows children to survive reality long enough to grow up and be ready to change it.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Sanders has been very vocal about being ready to play, but the Browns have not given him that chance.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Book-Carrie initially blames Lo for disrupting her and Richard’s plan, and willingly holds her hostage at Richard’s behest.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.—
Matthew Redmond,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hubbard also is glad to see some love come Dowdle’s way.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Mets fans will likely be glad to see the back of Helsley, assuming their team's front office doesn't count on a bounce-back.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What emerges is that, because of how much both the civilians and the regime were inherently inclined towards the occult, enforcing hierarchies within it hardly worked.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
8 Oct. 2025
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To meet those targets, especially when market conditions or interest rates made organic growth more difficult, managers were more inclined to take on additional risk that promised higher yields, the scholars argue.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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