fainthearted

[ feynt-hahr-tid ]
See synonyms for fainthearted on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. lacking courage; cowardly; timorous.

Origin of fainthearted

1
First recorded in 1400–50, fainthearted is from late Middle English feynt hertyd. See faint, hearted

Other words from fainthearted

  • faint·heart·ed·ly, adverb

Words Nearby fainthearted

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fainthearted in a sentence

  • I never was fainthearted before; but I cannot believe such a creature cares for me.'

    North and South | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
  • I ricommend to you, trusting to God, and putting down all misgivings and fainthearted feelin's.

    The Deerslayer | James Fenimore Cooper
  • Sometimes I feel almost fainthearted, which is cowardly and forgetful of our calling "to fight manfully under Christ's banner."

    Life of John Coleridge Patteson | Charlotte M. Yonge
  • By its power he keeps the whole herd of dejected, fainthearted, despairing and unsuccessful creatures, fast to life.

    Friedrich Nietzsche | Georg Brandes
  • Only the fainthearted talk of retreating; the others do not think of it, and these are more than the majority.

    The Lone Ranche | Captain Mayne Reid