The sound of shouting grew faint.
Source: tatoeba (19238)
Faint
/feɪnt/
Synonyms for "faint" (424 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (85)
abulicachromaticachromicafraidailinganemicashenashyasthenicbadbalmybarely audiblebelow parblack outblackoutblandblearblearedblearybled white
Show 43 more words
bloodlessblowblurredblurrybreakbreak downburn outcadaverouscatalepsycatatoniacatatonycave inchickenchloranemiccoldcollapsecolorlesscomacome apartcome unstuckconfusedconk outcowardlycrack upcrap outcritically illcrumbledarkdeaddeadly paledeathly paledebilitateddeclinedecrescendodelicatedimdimmeddingydiscoloreddisintegratedistantdizzinessdizzy
Noun(9 words)
Strong matches (127)
downdreamydroopdroopingdroopydropdulldustyeffeteenervatedenfeebledetiolatedexsanguinatedexsanguineexsanguineousfadefadedfaggedfailfaint-voiced
Show 88 more words
faintheartedfaintingfaintishfall senselessfallowfalteringfatiguefatiguedfeeblefeeblemindedfeeling awfulfeeling faintfeeling something terriblefilmyfizzle outflabbyflaccidflagflaggingflatflickeringfloppyfoggyfootsorefrailfrazzledfuzzygaspgentleget tiredghastlygiddygive outgive waygo downhillgo softgo to piecesgonegood and tiredgraygray outgrayoutgreygroggygrow wearygutlesshaggardhalf-heardhalf-seenhalf-visiblehazyhelplesshit the skidshuelesshushedhypochromicillill-definedimbecileimperceptibleimpotentin a bad wayin dangerinaudibleinconspicuousindefiniteindiscernibleindisposedindistinctindistinguishableinfirminvertebratejadejadedkayokeel overknockoutkolacklusterlaid lowlanguidlanguishlanguorousleadenlenientlight-headedlimberlimp
Adjective(12 words)
dwindleerased markfaint-heartedfaintheartedfrailheadyindistinct soundinvisible featurelightlight-headedlightestlightheaded
Related words (212)
lipothymialipothymylistlesslividlowlow profilelow-profileluridlusterlesslustlessmarrowlessmatmealymerely glimpsedmildmistymortally illmuddymuffledmurmured
Show 143 more words
mutedmuzzynebulousnervelessneutralnirvananirvana principlenot quite rightnothingnessoblivionobliviousnessobscureoff coloroff-colorout of focusout of sortsoutsidepalepale as deathpale-facedpallidpantpasspass outpastypeg outpeter outpianissimopianopinepithlessplay outpliablepoop outpoopedpowerlesspuffpuff and blowqueerready to droprockyrubberyrun downrun outrun raggedrun-downsaggingsallowsaplessscarcely heardseedysemiconsciousnesssemivisiblesenselessnessshadowysicksick unto deathsickishsicklysinewlesssinkslacksleepslightsmallsmoothsoftsoft-soundingsoft-voicedspinelessstifledstrengthlessstuporsubaudiblesubduedsuccumbswimswoonsyncopetaken illtallow-facedtepidthintiretiredtired-wingedtoilworntonelessuncertainunclearuncoloredunconsciousnessundefinedunder the weatherundeterminedunhardenedunnervedunplainunrecognizableunrefreshedunrestoredunsteadyunstrungunwellvaguevertiginousvertigowanwashed outwashed-outwaveringwaxenway-wearywaywornweakweak kneedweak mindedweak-kneedweak-mindedweak-voicedweak-willedweakenweakenedweaklywear awaywear thinweariedwearifulwearyweary-footedweary-ladenweary-wingedweary-wornwheezewhey-facedwhisperedwhitewiltwiltingwoozywornworn-downyield
Noun(11 words)
Adjective(32 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: dim, feeble, timid, weak, abulic.
- Sentence evidence is available for faint, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "faint".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "faint"
Keep "faint" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "faint" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "faint", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "faint" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesblack outdecreaseloss of consciousnesspass outperceptionpersonality traitphysical conditionpossibilityunconsciousnesszonk out
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
8 entriesfaint chancefaint glowfaint heartbeatfaint hopefaint lightfaint odorfaint smellfaint sound
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
7 entriesTranslations
58 translations across 22 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- неотчетлив adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- неясен adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Catalan
2 entries- feble adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- tènue adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Czech
4 entries- chabý adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- nepřesvědčivý adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- slabý adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- sotva patrný adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Dutch
2 entries- zwak adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- zwak adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
Finnish
3 entries- heikko adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- hämärä adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- vaimea adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
French
2 entries- faible adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- faible adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
German
2 entries- unentschlossen adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- unsicher adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Greek
1 entries- αχνός adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Hebrew
1 entries- כהה adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Hindi
2 entries- फीका adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- फीका adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
Icelandic
1 entries- daufur adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Italian
4 entries- debole adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- debole adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- incerto adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- indistinto adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Japanese
3 entries- かすか adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- 弱々しい adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- 淡い adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Korean
2 entries- 가냘프다 adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- 흐릿하다 adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Māori
4 entries- hīrea adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- makaro adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- muhani adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- tōriki adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Occitan
2 entries- feble adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- flac adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Portuguese
2 entries- tênue adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- tênue adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
Romanian
3 entries- estompat adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- slab adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- slab adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
Russian
2 entries- вя́лый adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- ту́склый adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Spanish
4 entries- apagado adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- apocado adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- lánguido adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
- mortecino adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Swedish
2 entries- svag adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
- svag adj (performed in a weak or feeble manner)
Ukrainian
1 entries- тьмя́ний adj (lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible)
Sample sentences
26 total sentences available.
I suddenly stood up and felt faint and light-headed.
Source: tatoeba (19616)
I think I'm going to faint.
Source: tatoeba (20307)
Faint heart never won fair lady.
Source: tatoeba (20383)
Showing 4 of 26 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "faint"?
Closest matches include dim, feeble, timid, weak, abulic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "faint"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.