What does "fain" mean?
Fain: Satisfied; contented; also, constrained. Shak. The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers at Basle to keep himself from starving. Locke.
Additional senses
- 2.With joy; gladly; -- with wold. He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. Luke xv.
- 3.Fain Would I woo her, yet I dare not. Shak.
- 4.To be glad ; to wish or desire. [Obs.] Whoso fair thing does fain to see. Spencer.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17 · Modified: 2026-07-17