faint

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɛɪnt/, SAMPA: /feInt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪnt
• Homophone: feint

Adjective

faint (comparative fainter, superlative faintest)

1. Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
2. Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed.

   "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." Robert Burns - To Dr. Blackjack.

3. Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound.
4. Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance.
   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 243b.

     do you have the faintest understanding of what they mean?

Translations

lacking strength

Armenian: տկար (hy) (tkar) Basque: geldo (eu) Dutch: zwak (nl) Finnish: heikko (fi), heiveröinen (fi) French: faible (fr)

German: kraftlos (de), schwach (de) Japanese: 弱々しい (ja) (yowayowashii) Russian: слабый (ru) Spanish: débil (es)

wanting in courage

Dutch: zwak (nl) French: craintif (fr), timoré (fr)

Japanese: 気の弱い (ja) (kinoyowai), 気が弱い (ja) (kigayowai)

lacking distinctness

Dutch: zwak (nl) Finnish: hämärä (fi) French: faible (fr) Hebrew: כהה (he) (keiheh)

Italian: incerto (it), indistinto (it) Japanese: (for sound) かすか (ja) (kasuka), (for colour)淡い (ja) (awai) Russian: тусклый (ru) (tuskliy) Spanish: tenue (es)

performed in a weak or feeble manner

Dutch: zwak (nl) French: faible (fr)

Japanese: 弱々しい (ja) (yowayowashii) Spanish: tenue (es)

Noun

faint (plural faints)

1. The act of fainting.
2. (rare) The state of one who has fainted; a swoon.

Translations

the act of fainting

Danish: besvimelse (da) French: évanouissement (fr) m. Italian: svenimento (it) m. Japanese: 失神 (ja) (shisshin)

Lithuanian: nualpimas (lt) m. Portuguese: desmaio (pt) m. Spanish: desmayo (es) m. Turkish: bayılma (tr)

the state of one who has fainted

French: évanoui (fr) m. German: Ohnmacht (de) f. Japanese: 失神 (ja) (shisshin)

Lithuanian: alpulys (lt) m. Scottish Gaelic: neul (gd) m. Turkish: baygınlık (tr)

Verb

faint (third-person singular simple present faints, present participle fainting, simple past and past participle fainted)

1. (intransitive) 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).

Synonyms

• pass out
• swoon

Translations

to lose consciousness

Czech: omdlít (cs) Danish: besvime (da) Dutch: flauwvallen (nl), (formal) bezwijmen (nl) Finnish: pyörtyä (fi) French: s'évanouir (fr), se pâmer (fr) Indonesian: pingsan (id) Italian: svenire (it) Japanese: 失神する (ja) (shisshinsuru)

Malay: pengsan (ms) Norwegian: besvime (no), svime av (no) Portuguese: desmaiar (pt) Russian: потерять сознание (ru) Scottish Gaelic: rach an neul (gd) Spanish: desmayar (es) Swedish: svimma (sv) Turkish: bayılmak (tr)

External links

• faint in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• faint in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• faint at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Fanti
• fitna

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Welsh

Adverb

faint

1. how much (what is the cost/price)

This Welsh entry was created from the translations listed at how much. It may be less reliable than other entries, and may be missing parts of speech or additional senses. Please also see faint in the Welsh Wiktionary. This notice will be removed when the entry is checked. (more information) July 2010