Meanings
faint1
adjectivefaint (comparative fainter, superlative faintest)
comparative fainter · superlative faintest · alternative feint
- Barely perceptible; not bright, or loud, or sharp.
There was a faint red light in the distance.
Synonyms: dull, wan, bland, colourless, dim, dingy, dull, lackluster
- Performed, done, or acted, weakly; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy.
faint efforts
2 more examples
faint resistance
They damned the latest book with faint praise.
- archaicSickly, so as to make a person feel faint.
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.
1843, Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit
faint2
verbfaint (third-person singular simple present faints, present participle fainting, simple past and past participle fainted)
present singular third person faints · participle present fainting · participle past fainted · past fainted
- intransitiveTo 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).
A fainting fit.
2 more examples
If I send them away fasting […] they will faint by the way.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 8:8But upon hearing the Honour which he intended her , she fainted away , and fell down as Dead at his Feet
1713 September 22, Richard Steele, The Guardian, number 167 - intransitiveTo lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent.
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 24:10 - intransitiveTo decay; to disappear; to vanish.
November 12, 1711, Alexander Pope, letter to Henry Cromwell Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint before the eye.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose consciousness
Similar
adjectiveBarely perceptible; not bright, or loud, or sharp.
adjectiveSlight; minimal.
Similar
verbTo 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).
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivedeficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
Similar
adjectivelacking clarity or distinctness
adjectiveweak and likely to lose consciousness
adjectiveindistinctly understood or felt or perceived
Similar
adjectivelacking conviction or boldness or courage
nouna spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain
Broader
loss of consciousness
verbpass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
faint · adjective, noun
- Latinfingere
- Old Frenchfaindre /feindre
- Old Frenchfaint /feint
- Middle Englishfaynt /feynt
- Englishfaint
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →faint · verb
- Middle Englishfeynen
- Englishfaint
From Middle English feynen, from the adjective (see above).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λιποθυμία, ἀποψύχω
- λιποθυμία (lipothumía)the act of fainting
- ἀποψύχω (apopsúkhō)to lose consciousness
- λιποθυμάω (lipothumáō)to lose consciousness
- λιποψυχέω (lipopsukhéō)to lose consciousness
- μικροψυχέω (mikropsukhéō)to lose consciousness
Arabic إِغْمَاء, أُغْمِيَ
- إِغْمَاء (ʔiḡmāʔ)the act of fainting
- أُغْمِيَ (ʔuḡmiya)to lose consciousness
- غُشِيَ (ḡušiya)to lose consciousness
Basque geldo
- geldolacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
Bulgarian слаб, немощен
- слаб (slab)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- немощен (nemošten)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- плах (plah)wanting in courage
- неясен (nejasen)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- неотчетлив (neotčetliv)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- припадане (pripadane)the act of fainting
- припадък (pripadăk)the state of one who has fainted
- припадам (pripadam)to lose consciousness
Catalan feble, dèbil
- feblelacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- dèbillacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- feblelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- tènuelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- desmaithe act of fainting
- acubar-seto lose consciousness
- desmaiar-seto lose consciousness
Chinese Mandarin 微弱, 昏厥
- 微弱 (wēiruò)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- 昏厥 (hūnjué)the act of fainting
- 昏過去 /昏过去 (hūn guòqù)to lose consciousness
- 昏倒 (hūndǎo)to lose consciousness
- 暈厥 /晕厥 (yūnjué)to lose consciousness
- 發暈 /发晕 (fāyūn)to lose consciousness
Czech malátný, slabý
- malátnýlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- slabýlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- slabýlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- sotva patrnýlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- chabýperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- vlažnýperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- nepřesvědčivýperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- ztráta vědomíthe act of fainting
- mdlobathe state of one who has fainted
- mrákotythe state of one who has fainted
- omdlítto lose consciousness
- omdlévatto lose consciousness
Danish besvimelse, besvime
- besvimelsethe act of fainting
- besvimeto lose consciousness
- falde i svimeto lose consciousness
Dutch zwak, zwak
- zwaklacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- zwakwanting in courage
- zwaklacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- zwakperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- flauwvallento lose consciousness
- bezwijmento lose consciousness
Esperanto malforta, sveni
- malfortalacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- svenito lose consciousness
Estonian minestama
- minestamato lose consciousness
Finnish heikko, heiveröinen
- heikkolacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- heiveröinenlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- pelkurimainenwanting in courage
- hämärälacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- vaimealacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- heikkolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- pyörtyminenthe act of fainting
- pyörtymysthe state of one who has fainted
- pyörtyäto lose consciousness
- menettää tajuntansato lose consciousness
- sammuato lose consciousness
French faible, faire un malaise
- faiblelacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- faire un malaiselacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- craintifwanting in courage
- timoréwanting in courage
- faiblelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- faibleperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- évanouissementthe act of fainting
- s'évanouirto lose consciousness
- pâmerto lose consciousness
German kraftlos, schwach
- kraftloslacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- schwachlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- ängstlichwanting in courage
- unsicherlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- unentschlossenlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- Ohnmachtthe act of fainting
- Ohnmachtthe state of one who has fainted
- ohnmächtig werdento lose consciousness
- in Ohnmacht fallento lose consciousness
Greek αχνός, αχνός
- αχνός (achnós)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- αχνός (achnós)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- λιποθυμία (lipothymía)the act of fainting
- λιποθυμώ (lipothymó)to lose consciousness
Hebrew כהה, הִתְעַלֵּף
- כהה (keiheh)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- הִתְעַלֵּף (hit'aléf)to lose consciousness
Hindi शक्तिहीन, मंद
- शक्तिहीन (śaktihīn)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- मंद (mand)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- फीका (phīkā)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- फीका (phīkā)performed in a weak or feeble manner
- मूर्छा (mūrchā)the act of fainting
- मूर्छा (mūrchā)to lose consciousness
Hungarian elájul
- elájulto lose consciousness
Icelandic daufur, líða yfir
- daufurlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- líða yfirto lose consciousness
- missa meðvitundto lose consciousness
Indonesian pingsan
- pingsanto lose consciousness
Irish laige, tit i laige
- laigethe act of fainting
- tit i laigeto lose consciousness
Italian debole, perdere i sensi
- debolelacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- perdere i sensilacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- pavidowanting in courage
- timorosowanting in courage
- incertolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- indistintolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- tenuelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- debolelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- deboleperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- svenimentothe act of fainting
- svenireto lose consciousness
Japanese 弱々しい, 気の弱い
- 弱々しい (yowayowashii)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- 気の弱い (kinoyowai)wanting in courage
- 気が弱い (kigayowai)wanting in courage
- かすか (kasuka)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- 淡い (awai)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- 弱々しい (yowayowashii)performed in a weak or feeble manner
- 失神 (shisshin)the act of fainting
- 失神 (shisshin)the state of one who has fainted
- 失神する (shisshin suru)to lose consciousness
Korean 가냘프다, 심약하다
- 가냘프다 (ganyalpeuda)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- 심약하다 (simyakhada)wanting in courage
- 흐릿하다 (heurithada)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- 가냘프다 (ganyalpeuda)performed in a weak or feeble manner
- 실신하다 (silsinhada)to lose consciousness
Latin intermorior
- intermoriorto lose consciousness
Lithuanian nualpimas, alpulys
- nualpimasthe act of fainting
- alpulysthe state of one who has fainted
- alptito lose consciousness
- apalptito lose consciousness
- nualptito lose consciousness
Malay pengsan
- pengsanto lose consciousness
Māori maiangi, maiengi
- maiangilacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- maiengilacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- poreporelacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- hauaitulacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- hauhauaitulacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- hauaituwanting in courage
- hauhauaituwanting in courage
- tōrikilacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- tōririkilacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- muhanilacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- makarolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- hīrealacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- hauaituto lose consciousness
- hauhauaituto lose consciousness
- tireheto lose consciousness
- tireheto sink
Norwegian Bokmål besvime
- besvimeto lose consciousness
Polish mdleć, zemdleć
- mdlećto lose consciousness
- zemdlećto lose consciousness
- omdlećto lose consciousness
Portuguese lânguido, débil
- lânguidolacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- débillacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- pávidowanting in courage
- tênuelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- tênueperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- desmaiothe act of fainting
- chiliquethe act of fainting
- badagaiothe act of fainting
- desmaiothe state of one who has fainted
- desmaiarto lose consciousness
Romanian slăbit, slab
- slăbitlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- slablacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- estompatlacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- slabperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- leșinthe act of fainting
- sincopăthe act of fainting
- leșinato lose consciousness
Russian сла́бый, сла́бый
- сла́бый (slábyj)lacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- сла́бый (slábyj)wanting in courage
- слабоне́рвный (slabonérvnyj)wanting in courage
- ту́склый (túsklyj)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- вя́лый (vjályj)performed in a weak or feeble manner
- о́бморок (óbmorok)the act of fainting
- о́бморок (óbmorok)the state of one who has fainted
- па́дать в о́бморок (pádatʹ v óbmorok)to lose consciousness
- упа́сть в о́бморок (upástʹ v óbmorok)to lose consciousness
- теря́ть созна́ние (terjátʹ soznánije)to lose consciousness
- потеря́ть созна́ние (poterjátʹ soznánije)to lose consciousness
Scottish Gaelic neul, rach an neul
- neulthe state of one who has fainted
- rach an neulto lose consciousness
Slovak mdlý
- mdlýlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
Spanish débil, tenue
- débillacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- tenuelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- apagadolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- mortecinolacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- apenas perceptiblelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- apenas visiblelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- levelacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- tenueperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- apocadoperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- lánguidoperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- desmayothe act of fainting
- soponciothe act of fainting
- deliquiothe act of fainting
- patatústhe act of fainting
- desmayarto lose consciousness
Swedish svag, klen
- svaglacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- klenlacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- kraftlöslacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- veklacking strength; inclined to lose consciousness
- klenwanting in courage
- svagwanting in courage
- fegwanting in courage
- vekwanting in courage
- svaglacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- svagperformed in a weak or feeble manner
- svimningthe act of fainting
- svimmato lose consciousness
Tagalog himatayin
- himatayinto lose consciousness
Tamil மயங்கு
- மயங்கு (mayaṅku)to lose consciousness
Thai สลบ, เป็นลม
- สลบ (sà-lòp)to lose consciousness
- เป็นลม (bpen-lom)to lose consciousness
Turkish bayılma, saka
- bayılmathe act of fainting
- sakathe act of fainting
- baygınlıkthe state of one who has fainted
- bayılmakto lose consciousness
Ukrainian тьмя́ний, неприто́мніти
- тьмя́ний (tʹmjányj)lacking distinctness, hardly perceptible
- неприто́мніти (neprytómnity)to lose consciousness
- знеприто́мніти (zneprytómnity)to lose consciousness
- млі́ти (mlíty)to lose consciousness
- зомліва́ти (zomliváty)to lose consciousness
- зомлі́ти (zomlíty)to lose consciousness
Vietnamese ngất, xỉu
- ngấtto lose consciousness
- xỉuto lose consciousness
Welsh llewyg, llewygfa
- llewygthe act of fainting
- llewygfathe act of fainting
- llewyguto lose consciousness
Yiddish חלשן
- חלשן (khaleshn)to lose consciousness
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with faint
saintpaintcomplaintconstraintauntrestraintquaintrepaintacquaintfeintplaintteintain'tattaintbepaintcan'tfresh as painthain'thaintmayn'toverpaintspraint
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
faint. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faint
MLA
“faint.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faint. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “faint,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faint.
Source: faint on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.