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
-
For some consumers, like those who were more than willing to pay $2,000 initially, this is not a problem at all.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2025 -
Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent a congratulatory message to Lee, saying that Beijing is willing to work with Seoul to advance their cooperative partnership for the benefit of the countries’ peoples, according to state broadcaster CCTV.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adverb
-
Ten years later, Jamie Wyeth remains not only my favorite artist but a rather unexpected style muse for his unapologetically unique dress sense.—
Caroline Reilly,
Robb Report,
6 June 2025
-
Trump and Musk traded barbs in a rather public feud, with the U.S. president threatening to pull back billions of dollars in government contracts for Musk's companies, while the Tesla CEO suggested Trump could not have won the election without him.—
Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, Reuters reports that Egyptian transport minister Kamel al-Wazir recently told a conference in Egypt that the planning stage for a bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia has been completed, and that his country is ready to implement it at any time.—
Adam Williams,
New Atlas,
6 June 2025
-
The powers that be aren’t ready to reveal that just yet.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Investors appeared glad that Musk would be pivoting away from his involvement in politics to refocus on his companies, pushing up shares of the electric vehicle company nearly 7% Tuesday.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
28 May 2025
-
Many billionaires appear glad to part with lots of their money for a shot at living forever.—
Dobromir Rahnev,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
The reason is that employees who are inclined to violate a nondisclosure agreement are also inclined to violate a noncompete.—
Sam Peak,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2025
-
In her view, Gen Z grads are less inclined to assertively chase opportunities — including taking jobs that aren’t necessarily their dream roles.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
28 May 2025
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 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share