Faint — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈfānt/

Meaning & Definition of Faint

Faint (adjective)

  1. hardly perceptible, dim
  2. vague
  3. weak, dizzy, and likely to faint

Faint (verb)

  1. to lose consciousness because of a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain
  2. to lose courage or spirit
  3. to become weak

Faint (noun)

  1. the physiological action of fainting; also, the resulting condition, syncope

Faint (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not seen or understood clearly

    "after wandering in the woods for hours, we had only a faint idea of where we were"

    similar: blear, bleary, blurry, dim, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, murky, nebulous, obscure, opaque, pale, shadowy, unclear, undefined, undetermined, vague
    related: dark, dusky, gloomy, impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible, hieroglyphic, incomprehensible, indecipherable, indiscernible, inexplicable, mysterious, obfuscatory, puzzling
    opposite: clear, definite, pellucid
    near: bright, distinct, evident, obvious, plain, certain, firm, strong, sure

  2. lacking bodily strength

    "I was starting to feel a little faint after going so long without food"

    similar: asthenic, debilitated, delicate, down-and-out, effete, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, frail, infirm, languid, low, prostrate, prostrated, sapped, slight, soft, softened, tender, unsubstantial, wasted, weak, weakened, wimpish, wimpy
    related: disabled, incapacitated, invalid, paralyzed, broken-down, decrepit, impotent, powerless, breakable, flimsy, fragile, dizzy, groggy, rocky, unsteady, woozy, drained, exhausted, flagging, tired, weary, worn-out, damaged, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, unsound, resistless, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding
    opposite: mighty, powerful, rugged, stalwart, stout, strong
    near: able-bodied, athletic, beefy, brawny, fit, husky, muscular, sinewy, strapping, virile, hard, hardy, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sturdy, tough, fortified, hardened, inured, strengthened, toughened, energetic, energized, invigorated, vigorous, vitalized, hale, healthy, sound, capable, competent, convalescing, recovering, recuperating

Faint (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a temporary state of unconsciousness

    "shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint"

    similar: blackout, insensibility, knockout, swim, swoon, syncope
    related: daze, stupor, trance, drowsiness, narcosis, sleep, somnolence

Faint (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to lose consciousness

    "the kind of person who faints at the sight of blood"

    similar: black out, conk (out), keel (over), pass out, swoon
    related: break down, collapse, zonk (out)
    opposite: come around, come round, come to, revive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Faint

The most common words with a similar meaning to Faint:

blear, bleary, blurry, dim, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, murky, nebulous, obscure, opaque, pale, shadowy, unclear, undefined, undetermined, vague, asthenic, debilitated, delicate, down-and-out, effete, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, frail, infirm, languid, low, prostrate, prostrated, sapped, slight, soft, softened

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Faint

Words with the opposite meaning of Faint:

clear, definite, pellucid, mighty, powerful, rugged, stalwart, stout, strong, come around, come round, come to, revive

Related Words for Faint

dark, dusky, gloomy, impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible, hieroglyphic, incomprehensible, indecipherable, indiscernible, inexplicable, mysterious, obfuscatory, puzzling, disabled, incapacitated, invalid, paralyzed, broken-down, decrepit, impotent, powerless, breakable, flimsy, fragile, dizzy, groggy, rocky, unsteady

Near Antonyms of Faint

bright, distinct, evident, obvious, plain, certain, firm, sure, able-bodied, athletic, beefy, brawny, fit, husky, muscular, sinewy, strapping, virile, hard, hardy, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sturdy, tough, fortified, hardened, inured, strengthened, toughened

Word Forms of Faint

Inflections: fainter, faintest, fainted, fainting, faints

Derived words: faintish (adjective), faintishness (noun), faintly (adverb), faintness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Faint

Middle English feint, faynt "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit or courage, listless, wearied, feeble, pale," borrowed from Anglo-French, "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit, weak," from present participle of feindre, faindre "to make, fabricate, pretend, dissemble, lose heart, fade" feign

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Faint

faint of heart, damn with faint praise, dead faint

Frequently Asked Questions about Faint

What does "Faint" mean?

"Faint" means hardly perceptible, dim. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: hardly perceptible, dim. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Faint"?

Other words for "Faint" include blear, bleary, blurry, dim, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy and hazy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Faint" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Faint"?

There are 115 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Faint". Common alternatives include blear, bleary, blurry, dim, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy, hazy, indefinite and indistinct.

What is the opposite of "Faint"?

Antonyms of "Faint" include clear, definite, pellucid, mighty, powerful, rugged, stalwart and stout. Near antonyms include bright, distinct, evident and obvious.

How do you use "Faint" in a sentence?

Examples of "Faint" in a sentence: "after wandering in the woods for hours, we had only a faint idea of where we were"; "I was starting to feel a little faint after going so long without food"; "shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint".

Is "Faint" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Faint" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Faint"?

"Faint" is pronounced /ˈfānt/.

What is the origin of the word "Faint"?

"Faint" comes from Middle English feint, faynt "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit or courage, listless, wearied, feeble, pale," borrowed from Anglo-French, "deceiving, false, lacking in spirit, weak," from present participle of feindre, faindre "to make, fabricate, pretend, dissemble, lose heart, fade" feign. First known use: 14th century.