faint

[ feynt ]

adjective

, faint·er, faint·est.

1. lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength, etc.:

   a faint light;

   a faint color;

   a faint sound.

   Synonyms: dull, dim, ill-defined, indistinct

2. feeble or slight:

   faint resistance;

   faint praise;

   a faint resemblance.

   Synonyms: weak, irresolute

3. feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness:

   faint with hunger.

   Synonyms: languid

4. lacking courage; cowardly; timorous:

   Faint heart never won fair maid.

   Synonyms: dastardly, timid, fearful, pusillanimous

5. Law. unfounded:

   a faint action.

verb (used without object)

1. to lose consciousness temporarily.
2. to lose brightness.
3. Archaic. to grow weak; lose spirit or courage.

noun

1. a temporary loss of consciousness resulting from a decreased flow of blood to the brain; a swoon:

   to fall into a faint.

faint

/ feɪnt /

adjective

1. lacking clarity, brightness, volume, etc

   a faint noise

2. lacking conviction or force; weak

   faint praise

3. feeling dizzy or weak as if about to lose consciousness
4. without boldness or courage; timid (esp in the combination faint-hearted )
5. not the faintest
   not the faintestnot the faintest ideanot the faintest notion no idea whatsoever

   I haven't the faintest

verb

1. to lose consciousness, esp momentarily, as through weakness
2. archaic.
   to fail or become weak, esp in hope or courage

noun

1. a sudden spontaneous loss of consciousness, usually momentary, caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the brain Technical namesyncope

Derived Forms

• ˈfaintness, noun
• ˈfaintingly, adverb
• ˈfaintishness, noun
• ˈfaintly, adverb
• ˈfaintish, adjective
• ˈfainter, noun

Other Words From

• fainter noun
• fainting·ly adverb
• faintish adjective
• faintish·ness noun
• faintly adverb
• faintness noun
• over·faint adjective
• over·faintly adverb
• over·faintness noun
• un·fainting adjective
• un·faintly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of faint¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French: literally, “feigned,” past participle of faindre, feindre “to feign”; feign

Word History and Origins

Origin of faint¹

C13: from Old French, from faindre to be idle

Idioms and Phrases

see damn with faint praise .

Example Sentences

You can still see them going by, but barely—they’re very faint.

From MIT Technology Review

On the sides, a lean premixed flame appears as a faint wisp.

From Science News

Researchers have started to make rough Faraday rotation measurements using LOFAR, but the telescope has trouble picking out the extremely faint signal.

From Quanta Magazine

By training computers to recognize such faint rumbles, the scientists were able not only to identify the probable culprit behind the quakes, but also to track how such mysterious swarms can spread through complex fault networks in space and time.

From Science News

When that faint light hits the other side, it’s already been split apart into its colors.

From Science News For Students

Her voice was raspy and after answering questions she paused, as if about to faint.

From The Daily Beast

I saw a faint, sweet glimmer of the ferocious protector he once was.

From The Daily Beast

But this time I can plainly hear, through the rush of words, the faint rattle of hysteria that bespeaks a screw loose somewhere.

From The Daily Beast

After about an hour, he hears a faint tapping sound from inside the freezer and opens the door.

From The Daily Beast

A fine book all around, but not a book for the faint of heart.

From The Daily Beast

The faint candle-light glimmered on a ponderous gilded cornice, which had also sustained violence.

From Project Gutenberg

It was difficult to describe—a little sterner, a little wilder, a faint emphasis of the barbaric peering through it.

From Project Gutenberg

He was looking at me with eyebrows arched, curiously, and there was a faint suggestion of hostility in the set of his mouth.

From Project Gutenberg

The cytoplasm of lymphocytes is generally robin's-egg blue; that of the large mononuclears may have a faint bluish tinge.

From Project Gutenberg

Wright's stain gives such cells a faint bluish tinge when the condition is mild, and a rather deep blue when severe.

From Project Gutenberg