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
-
Marino knew all about those other things, and was willing to spill the information.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
22 July 2025 -
One paper published in 2023 found that 75 percent of more than 2,000 men surveyed in the U.S. and Canada were willing to try novel contraceptives.—
Hannah Seo,
Scientific American,
22 July 2025
Adverb
-
Some can serve as bulking agents, absorbing and retaining water all that stuff moving through your gastrointestinal tract so that in the end, or rather out the end your poo can move more readily.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Neither of the ladies’ approaches is at all effective and, instead, rather harmful.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Fair weather in winter and spring, plus this summer’s extended heatwave, yielded an abundance of peach blossoms, and the orchard is now ready for families to pick their own peaches right off the branches.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
Isak still needs to force Newcastle to change its stance, and the club has been ready for this.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
In that moment, Lindsey recalls being surrounded by loved ones, and glad to know what happened to her little girl.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
13 July 2025
-
Suzie Whitelaw, founder of Save Our Beaches San Clemente, was glad to hear the two-year study was back on track, after emergency work needs slowed progress.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
That final point is important — at this stage of pre-season, Arsenal are not inclined to take risks with players’ fitness.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
The politically inclined comedians are media veterans, having fought on the same side of many wars.—
Ryan Coleman Published,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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