faint

Definition of faint in English English dictionary: The act of fainting; Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed
Faint heart ne'er won fair lady. Robert Burns - To Dr. Blackjack.; To lose consciousness. Caused by a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of a suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions); Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance
do you have the faintest understanding of what they mean?.; The state of one who has fainted; a swoon; Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound; Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst; {v} to swoon, sink, grow feeble, deject; {a} languid, low, weak, cowardly; A faint attempt at something is one that is made without proper effort and with little enthusiasm. Caroline made a faint attempt at a laugh A faint smile crossed the Monsignor's face and faded quickly + faintly faint·ly John smiled faintly and shook his head; Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady; To cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken; {s} weak, feeble; limp; dim; faded; fainthearted, timid; {i} swoon, temporary loss of consciousness; To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent; a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain; See Fainting, n; lacking strength or vigor; "damning with faint praise"; "faint resistance"; "feeble efforts"; "a feeble voice"; pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain; To decay; to disappear; to vanish; If you faint, you lose consciousness for a short time, especially because you are hungry, or because of pain, heat, or shock. She suddenly fell forward on to the table and fainted I thought he'd faint when I kissed him. = pass out Faint is also a noun. She slumped to the ground in a faint; {f} temporarily lose consciousness, swoon, black out, pass out; Someone who is faint feels weak and unsteady as if they are about to lose consciousness. Other signs of angina are nausea, sweating, feeling faint and shortness of breath; a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain lacking conviction or boldness or courage; "faint heart ne'er won fair lady"; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc; "a faint outline"; "the wan sun cast faint shadows"; "the faint light of a distant candle"; "faint colors"; "a faint hissing sound"; "a faint aroma"; lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood"; lacking conviction or boldness or courage; "faint heart ne'er won fair lady"; A faint sound, colour, mark, feeling, or quality has very little strength or intensity. He became aware of the soft, faint sounds of water dripping He could see faint lines in her face There was still the faint hope deep within him that she might never need to know. + faintly faint·ly He was already asleep in the bed, which smelled faintly of mildew She felt faintly ridiculous. = slightly; weak and likely to lose consciousness; "suddenly felt faint from the pain"; "was sick and faint from hunger"; "felt light in the head"; "a swooning fit"; "light-headed with wine"; "light-headed from lack of sleep; To become weak or wanting in vigor; to grow feeble; to lose strength and color, and the control of the bodily or mental functions; to swoon; sometimes with away; " Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound; indistinctly understood or felt or perceived; "a faint clue to the origin of the mystery"; "haven't the faintest idea"; The act of fainting, or the state of one who has fainted; a swoon
faint of heart: timid people considered as a group
faint of heart: faint-hearted
faint-hearted: Lacking courage; timid
faint idea: weak idea, undeveloped idea, idea which is still being developed
faint sound: quiet sound, weak noise
faint-hearted: If you say that something is not for the faint-hearted, you mean that it is an extreme or very unusual example of its kind, and is not suitable for people who like only safe and familiar things. It's a film about a serial killer and not for the faint-hearted
faint-hearted: If you describe someone or their behaviour as faint-hearted, you mean that they are not very confident and do not take strong action because they are afraid of failing. This is no time to be faint-hearted
faint-hearted: timid, cowardly, fearful
faint-heartedness: cowardliness, timidity
damn with faint praise: To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism
The patronizing manner in which the hero of Nashville is damned with faint praise would amuse were it not so exasperating.
fainting: Present participle of faint
fainting: An act of collapsing to a state to temporary unconsciousness
faintness: The property of being or feeling faint
fainting: {n} a short loss of animal motion
faintly: {a} feebly, imperfectly, without color
faintness: {n} feebleness, a want of spirit or life
faints: {n} gross and fetid oil
ring a faint bell: (deyim) [for something] to cause someone to remember something or for it to seem familiar
A faint: swoon
To faint: plotz
becoming faint: growing weak
fainted: past of faint
fainter: {i} one who tends to lose consciousness, one who tends to pass out
fainter: Comparative form of faint; more faint
faintest: Superlative form of faint; most faint
faintest: emphasis You can use faintest for emphasis in negative statements. For example, if you say that someone hasn't the faintest idea what to do, you are emphasizing that they do not know what to do. I haven't the faintest idea how to care for a snake = slightest, remotest
faintest: {s} weakest, most dim
fainting: Syncope, or loss of consciousness owing to a sudden arrest of the blood supply to the brain, the face becoming pallid, the respiration feeble, and the heat's beat weak
fainting: {i} swooning, passing out, losing consciousness
fainting: syncope
faintings: plural of fainting
faintly: In a faint, weak, or timidmanner
faintly: in a faint manner; very quietly or lightly
faintly: weakly, feebly; quietly; cowardly, timidly
faintly: to a faint degree or weakly perceived; "between him and the dim light a form was outlined faintly"; "stars shining faintly through the overcast"; "could hear his distant shouts only faintly"; "the rumors weren't even faintly true"
faintness: the quality of being dim
faintness: {i} weakness, feebleness; dimness; timidness; feeling of being ready to faint or pass out
faintness: Faint-heartedness; timorousness; dejection
faintness: Want of vigor or energy
faintness: The state of being faint; loss of strength, or of consciousness, and self-control
faintness: The property of feeling faint
faintness: barely audible
faintness: Feebleness, as of color or light; lack of distinctness; as, faintness of description
faints: plural of faint
faints: The impure spirit which comes over first and last in the distillation of whisky; the former being called the strong faints, and the latter, which is much more abundant, the weak faints
faints: This crude spirit is much impregnated with fusel oil
noun faint 3: an act of becoming unconscious in a (dead) faint

faint

Turkish pronunciation

feynt

Synonyms

pass out, swoon, aside, bated, bland, bleached, blurred, breathless, deadened, deep, delicate, dim, distant, dull, dusty

Antonyms

clear, distinct, heavy, loud, strong, bold, brave, courageous, resolute, consciousness

Pronunciation

/ˈfānt/ /ˈfeɪnt/

Etymology

() From Middle English Old French feindre, faindre (“to feign, to sham, to work negligently”) Latin fingere (“to touch, handle, usually form, shape, frame, form in thought, imagine, conceive, contrive, devise, feign”).