fainéant

[ fey-nee-uhnt; French fe-ney-ahn ]

adjective

1. Also fai·ne·ant [] idle; indolent.

noun

, plural fai·né·ants [fey, -nee-, uh, nts, fe-ney-, ahn].

1. an idler.

fainéant

/ ˈfeɪnɪənt; fɛneɑ̃ /

noun

1. a lazy person; idler

adjective

1. indolent

Derived Forms

• ˈfaineance, noun

Other Words From

• fai·ne·ance [fey, -nee-, uh, ns], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, earlier fait-nient, literally, “he does nothing,” folk etymology of Old French faignant “idler,” noun use of present participle of se faindre “to shirk ”; feign, faint

Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant¹

C17: from French, modification of earlier fait-nient (he) does nothing, by folk etymology from Old French faignant shirker, from faindre to be lazy

Example Sentences

Here’s me not using faineant in a sentence.

From Literature

The fainéant gods, who dwell serenely indifferent to human affairs, and about whom men should therefore have no dread; all things, whether dead or living, even the ideas that enter the mind; are alike composed of atoms.

From Project Gutenberg

This was the young “Fainéant” king of Neustria, Clothaire III.

From Project Gutenberg

The office is hereditary if these qualifications are also inherited; but should the sons or brothers of the chief prove unworthy of his place, the Ainu would assemble in a "village council" and elect another strong, clear-headed, and brave man in place of the roi fainéant thus summarily deposed.

From Project Gutenberg

Solmes, the fainéant of Steinkirk, was left dead on the field.

From Project Gutenberg