faint 1 of 3

Definition of faintnext
1
2

faint

2 of 3

noun

as in trance
a temporary state of unconsciousness shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint

Synonyms & Similar Words

faint

3 of 3

verb

as in to collapse
to lose consciousness the kind of person who faints at the sight of blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of faint
Adjective
Some observers have predicted a faint possibility of two Republicans advancing, sparking calls from Democratic leaders for lower-polling candidates to drop out so the party could maintain its legislative and executive supermajority. Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026 What started as a faint buzzing sound from the complex became impossible to ignore. Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Noun
Crossing Tyvola Road to get to Collinswood Language Academy isn’t for the faint of heart. Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026 Flight prices vary widely depending on group size and availability—but Angola’s patchy road infrastructure (or lack thereof) is not for the faint of heart, so plan accordingly. Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
The incident is not the first time a pilot has fainted while in the air. Adam England, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 During their opening weekend’s set, someone in the crowd fainted. Steve Appleford, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for faint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faint
Adjective
  • Still, even after the election, Magyar has remained relentlessly on message—which is to say, vague and tight-lipped, leaving several inconvenient dilemmas unaddressed.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • Later, Liu Kang himself seemingly dies in a showdown with Shao Kahn, although his fate is kept a bit more vague.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • Free agency is weak, so the best bet will be the trade market.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • The original vision of the Accords – of a rapidly expanding regional bloc openly aligned with Israel and integrated economically across the Middle East – has become a significantly weaker prospect.
    Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Pulling us into a trance-like state.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026
  • Throughout much of Buddhist history, and particularly in Theravada Buddhist contexts, mindfulness and its associated meditation methods have been the purview of mendicants (monks and nuns), who used mindfulness meditation to achieve trance states (jhana) leading to nirvana.
    Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In 1980, 35 people were killed when a freighter rammed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, causing a 1,300-foot section of the southbound span to collapse.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • And today, for the time being, the regime has collapsed totally.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • But its geological origins are hazy.
    Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
  • Even if my archive was unverifiable or incongruous, the hazy, contradictory landscape of Goodman’s life was the truth of her existence.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • So, in retrospect, [the entire Lightning project] looked pretty feeble.
    Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
  • His visit also comes as the committee stalls on advancing Casey Means, Kennedy’s nominee for surgeon general, over her lack of medical practice experience and feeble answers on the importance of vaccination.
    Daniel Payne, STAT, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Other bedding plants for summer color in sunny sites include angelonia, blue daze, bush daisy, Joseph’s coat, melampodium, salvia, torenia and zinnias.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
  • Those around me were in a daze.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And now, there’s a GOP candidate for governor, James Fishback, who’s attracting a growing following among young, white college students who swoon over Fishback’s claims that minorities — and Jewish people, in particular — are threatening their way of life.
    Scott Maxwell, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
  • The quilt’s washability is another factor that has shoppers swooning over it.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faint. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on faint

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster