as in timid
easily frightened
the sport of river rafting is not for those who are fainthearted
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fainthearted
Going to the theatre in that period was hardly an entertainment for the fainthearted, and calamity was not confined to the stage.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Breaking down a whole raw chicken is not for the fainthearted, but the results can be mouthwatering.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 6 July 2025
Reading even a few paragraphs about the testimony at these two NYC trials isn’t for the fainthearted, and men and women recognize that there are some very bad actors who must be held accountable for their actions.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The results are not for the fainthearted, as very thick, dry skin tends to peel off in layers.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 30 May 2024
Even the most fainthearted and tremulous of our fellow citizens—our CEOs—could stick up for free speech without being called Nazi sympathizers.
—WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021
Moreover, restricting the initiative to projects in developed markets is a fainthearted stipulation that will hopefully be swiftly abandoned.
—Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2019
Ballet Theater itself is suddenly looking fainthearted and uncoordinated as a theatrical troupe.
—Alastair MacAulay, New York Times, 15 June 2018
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Breaking down a whole raw chicken is not for the fainthearted, but the results can be mouthwatering.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 6 July 2025
Reading even a few paragraphs about the testimony at these two NYC trials isn’t for the fainthearted, and men and women recognize that there are some very bad actors who must be held accountable for their actions.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The results are not for the fainthearted, as very thick, dry skin tends to peel off in layers.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 30 May 2024
Even the most fainthearted and tremulous of our fellow citizens—our CEOs—could stick up for free speech without being called Nazi sympathizers.
—WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021
Moreover, restricting the initiative to projects in developed markets is a fainthearted stipulation that will hopefully be swiftly abandoned.
—Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2019
Ballet Theater itself is suddenly looking fainthearted and uncoordinated as a theatrical troupe.
—Alastair MacAulay, New York Times, 15 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fainthearted
Adjective
-
The indie follows Christie, a timid 30-something who, after an unexpected positive pregnancy test, convinces her free-spirited best friend Ally (Ruffin) to help her track down her birth mother.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Sam, meanwhile, is a more timid RA with a longtime girlfriend (Maisy Stella).—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There were plenty of distraction at the in-stadium clinic to make a trip to the dentist a little less scary for the children.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And yet … those conversations are also entertainingly provocative, and they’re accompanied by some of the scariest and most disgusting scenes the series has delivered up to now.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And yet, from the beginning, the only people more fearful than Putin of American intervention were Americans.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
-
According to one survey, about half of those age 61 and older are fearful of what changes in tariffs will do to their retirement savings or retirement income.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fainthearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fainthearted. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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