faint
faint is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 8 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." Old Proverb.
- 2.Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound.
- 3.Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance. The faint prosecution of the war. Sir J. Davies.
- 4.The act of fainting, or the state of one who has fainted; a swoon. [R.] See Fainting, n. The saint, Who propped the Virgin in her faint. Sir W. Scott.
- 5.To become weak or wanting in vigor; to grow feeble; to lose strength and color, and the control of the bodily or mental functions; to swoon; -- sometimes with away. See Fainting, n. Hearing the honor intended her, she fainted away. Guardian. If I send them away fasting . . . they will faint by the way. Mark viii.
- 6.2. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Prov. xxiv.
- 7.3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish. Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint before the eye. Pope.
- 8.To cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.] It faints me to think what follows. Shak.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- all
- and
- any
- awful
- behind
- better
- blind
- blush
- born
- conceal
- concealed
- concealment
- could
- covered
- covert
- curtain
- dark
- dead
- deathlike
- delitescence
- delitescent
- dim
- doubt
- drop
- eclipse
- escape
- est
- feather
- flower
- focus
- fool
- full
- fuzzy
- grave
- hear
- hidden
- hide
- hold
- hush
- ill
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is faint.
- What is wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." Old Proverb called?
- What is lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound called?
- What is performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance. The faint prosecution of the war. Sir J. Davies called?
- What is the act of fainting, or the state of one who has fainted; a swoon. [R.] See Fainting, n. The saint, Who propped the Virgin in her faint. Sir W. Scott called?
- What is 2. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Prov. xxiv called?
- What is 3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish. Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint before the eye. Pope called?
- What is to cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.] It faints me to think what follows. Shak called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms & antonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/faint
- Steward: Jason Burns