1
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
after wandering in the woods for hours, we had only a faint idea of where we were
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
I was starting to feel a little faint after going so long without food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in trance
a temporary state of unconsciousness
shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Instead, the arcs in the sky are wispy white, with the occasional faint green color mixed in.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
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
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
In January 2024, Tera fainted at home and couldn’t stand on her own.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for faint
Adjective
At the same time, faint light reflected from Earth softly illuminates the Moon, revealing mountains and craters in a dim twilight.
—Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Instead, the arcs in the sky are wispy white, with the occasional faint green color mixed in.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 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
Such is a snarky line that Emily Blunt delivers as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, a character who would rather faint than wear something hideous.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
In January 2024, Tera fainted at home and couldn’t stand on her own.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 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
-
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
8 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
-
The book’s cover depicts a hazy sunset over a Hollywood sign that is drowning in floodwaters.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
4 May 2026
-
The immediate aftermath of a split tends to be less clear, a hazy maelstrom that can involve medicinal tubs of ice cream, insomnia by way of intrusive thoughts, and an aversion to wearing anything other than sweats.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
3 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
-
Those around me were in a daze.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Greene made the catch, and Meadows landed on his back in a daze, barely moving with his hands pointed up and blood appearing on his face.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His earliest musical influences were the swooning Motown singers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
Pasta lovers, meatball fans and everyone who swoons over pizza knows that the Charlotte area has great Italian restaurants at every turn.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faint. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
