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
This time the message went off-roading, traveling through the animal’s tissue as a faint electrical pulse and switching on an implant that jolted a nerve in that leg. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026 When To Stop Using A Clicking Ceiling Fan A faint click from a loose screw is usually an easy fix. — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
Taking on an enormous corporation isn’t for the faint of heart; thank goodness Smalls, who first organized the Congress of Essential Workers and then the Amazon Labor Union, has a heart strong enough to keep struggling for his colleagues against a monolithic management team. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 In his view, politics isn't for the faint of heart and neither is being cast on a reality show. — Saige Miller, NPR, 31 May 2026
Verb
Nurses are fainting on the wards, children are flopping onto their desks at school. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Bayern’s board member for sport, Max Eberl explained during Friday’s press conference that Musiala’s two fainting incidents happened following a change to his medication. — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for faint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faint
Adjective
  • Even as strong as the UNEP report is, the language of who does mitigation is so vague as to almost verge on the passive voice.
    — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
  • North Korea issued a vague expression of regret over the soldiers’ injuries without clearly accepting responsibility.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • This process can be even more pronounced in smaller galaxies in which the gravitational influence is weaker, and the black holes are less likely to be strongly bound to the galactic center.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Takaichi’s spending plans have drawn attention, raising concerns of debt sustainability and a weaker yen which have pushed Japanese bond yields to multidecade highs.
    — Chloe Taylor,Lee Ying Shan,Fred Imbert, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • At its best, Happiness Anytime finds Bridges stretching out as a singer, leaning into the trance-like rhythms provided by Jungle’s Tom McFarland, Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There are better descriptors for trance cinema, for things that are slow or obtuse.
    — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Four American tourists died on Friday after a building collapsed due to a gas explosion in Athens, Greece, in a neighborhood near the Acropolis.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The possibility -- even likelihood -- of some rickety old thing collapsing under me never occurred to me.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • As the show became a cultural juggernaut, some criticized its vigilante justice and the hazy line between law enforcement and journalism.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Libra Sun opposes Neptune across your career and home zones, making ambition look especially attractive while the personal cost remains hazy.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Briogeo Destined for Density Serum The Briogeo Destined for Density Serum is a lightweight liquid formula that thickens feeble strands, plumps roots, and rapidly spurs new hair growth.
    — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There has to be something more than this, looking feeble against a rookie lefty with average stuff followed by the worst bullpen in baseball.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Everyone in town seemed to walk through that day in a daze; Leslie’s name was spoken in hushed whispers.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • Everything from Holden-Rea’s swooning orchestral score, which makes even the most mundane of mise en scène, courses with emotional histrionics, is calibrated for loud emotions.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, bonds have swooned since the start of the Iran war at the end of February, amid a broad sell-off.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faint. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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