What does "faint" mean?
The act of fainting, syncope.
Faint
/feɪnt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of fainting, syncope.
- Grammar: faint is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dim, feeble, timid, weak.
- Useful contrasts: awake, bold, bold headings.
- Usage evidence: The sound of shouting grew faint.
How to use "faint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "faint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "faint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "faint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "faint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "faint" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dim" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "faint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of fainting, syncope.
"She suffered another faint."
- 2 a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain wordnet
- 3 The state of one who has fainted; a swoon. rare
Verb
- 1 To lose consciousness through a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions). intransitive
"A fainting fit."
- 2 pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain wordnet
- 3 To lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent. intransitive
"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."
- 4 To decay; to disappear; to vanish. intransitive
"November 12, 1711, Alexander Pope, letter to Henry Cromwell Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint before the eye."
Adjective
- 1 Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose consciousness
"I felt faint after my fifth gin and tonic."
- 2 Lacking courage, spirit, or energy; cowardly; dejected.
"Faint heart ne'er won fair lady."
- 3 Barely perceptible; not bright, or loud, or sharp.
"There was a faint red light in the distance."
- 4 Performed, done, or acted, weakly; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy.
"faint efforts"
- 5 Slight; minimal.
"a faint chance"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Sickly, so as to make a person feel faint. archaic
"Happening to pass a fruiterer’s on their way; the door of which was open, though the shop was by this time shut; one of them remarked how faint the peaches smelled."
Adjective
- 1 lacking conviction or boldness or courage wordnet
- 2 lacking clarity or distinctness wordnet
- 3 indistinctly understood or felt or perceived wordnet
- 4 deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc wordnet
- 5 lacking strength or vigor wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 weak and likely to lose consciousness wordnet
Example
"The sound of shouting grew faint."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "faint"?
Common synonyms include: dim, feeble, timid, weak, abulic, achromatic.
How do you use "faint" in a sentence?
The sound of shouting grew faint.
How do you pronounce "faint"?
Pronounced /feɪnt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English faynt, feynt (“weak; feeble”), from Old French faint, feint (“feigned; negligent; sluggish”), past participle of feindre, faindre (“to feign; sham; work negligently”), from Latin fingere (“to touch, handle, form, shape, frame, form in thought, imagine, conceive, contrive, devise, feign”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to mold”). Cognate with feign and fiction and more distantly dough.
Etymology 2
From Middle English fainten, feynten, from the adjective (see above).