faint
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,176 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 15,627 times across 175,173 chapters — 0.007% of every word in the library.
What it means
adjective
- deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc also: weak a faint outlinethe wan sun cast faint shadows
- lacking clarity or distinctness also: dim, shadowy, vague, wispy a dim figure in the distanceonly a faint recollection
- lacking strength or vigor also: feeble damning with faint praisefaint resistance
- weak and likely to lose consciousness also: light, swooning, light-headed, lightheaded suddenly felt faint from the painwas sick and faint from hunger
- indistinctly understood or felt or perceived a faint clue to the origin of the mysteryhaven't the faintest idea
- lacking conviction or boldness or courage also: fainthearted, timid, faint-hearted faint heart ne'er won fair lady
verb
- pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain also: conk, swoon, pass out
noun
- a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain also: swoon, syncope, deliquium
faint in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Husband, I'm faint; I can no farther go.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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He sat and listened while Ginger swore 'imself faint.
Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. · W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs · Chapter 1
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Primrose had always a very faint color; at Poppy's words it deepened slightly.
The Palace Beautiful: A Story for Girls · L. T. Meade · Chapter 1
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As she spoke, A slow, faint smile across his features broke, Sadder than tears.
Pennsylvania Pilgrim, and other poems Part 6 From — Volume I · John Greenleaf Whittier · Chapter 1
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It was dark and cold, and but a faint light from the moon shone down to them.
The Land of the Changing Sun · Will N. (Will Nathaniel) Harben · Chapter 1