faint 1 of 3

adjective

ˈfānt How to pronounce faint (audio)
Definition of faintnext
1
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly after wandering in the woods for hours, we had only a faint idea of where we were

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2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength I was starting to feel a little faint after going so long without food

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faint

2 of 3

noun

as in trance
a temporary state of unconsciousness shocking news can cause a person to fall into a faint

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faint

3 of 3

verb

as in to collapse
to lose consciousness the kind of person who faints at the sight of blood

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of faint
Adjective
Much of its galactic structure would either be less developed or simply just too faint to be seen at such distance. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Actually colder than the cosmic microwave background, the faint afterglow of the Big Bang itself. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
Taking on an enormous corporation isn’t for the faint of heart; thank goodness Smalls, who first organized the Congress of Essential Workers and then the Amazon Labor Union, has a heart strong enough to keep struggling for his colleagues against a monolithic management team. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 In his view, politics isn't for the faint of heart and neither is being cast on a reality show. — Saige Miller, NPR, 31 May 2026
Verb
Like fainting, craving pickles, or struggling to wiggle into skinny jeans, vomiting, in the cultural imagination, is a stand-in for imminent motherhood, as legible as any pregnancy test. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 My backyard tortoise, Philbert, has been most irascible and taken to his fainting couch (cardboard box). — Stat Staff, STAT, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for faint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faint
  1. vague
  2. weak
  3. trance
  4. collapse
  5. hazy
  6. feeble
  7. daze
  8. swoon
Adjective
  • Entrepreneurs need this because being vague does not sell, attract referrals or earn trust.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The question is intentionally vague and confusing, and goes out of its way to evade the true purpose of the law.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Many forex brokers respond to weak rankings by publishing more market guides, adding country pages and building links.
    — David Ispiryan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Slow money growth means weak nominal growth and low inflation, which in turn keeps interest rates and bond yields depressed—and the yen weak.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Noun
  • His research has included brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, as well as surveys of people's spiritual experiences and attitudes.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2026
  • One by one, as if roused from a trance, my fellow staffers rose from their workstations and filed to the exit.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
Definition of trance
Verb
  • He’s really getting worked over until a collapsing building separates them.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Only a collapsing building, burned down by dragonfire, saves him, with Roxton on the other side of the collapse.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Adjective
  • Crews battled a large fire at a scrap metal yard in North Philadelphia's Hunting Park neighborhood Sunday night, sending thick, hazy smoke into the sky and raising concerns among neighbors who say problems at the property have persisted for years.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Across the hall, in a lavender family room, a vintage TV installation by Jennifer stands in a corner playing hazy family videos and iconic cultural moments such as James Brown’s famously bizarre 1988 CNN interview on a loop.
    — Jewel Wicker, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of hazy
Adjective
  • Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
  • By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of feeble
Noun
  • Everyone in town seemed to walk through that day in a daze; Leslie’s name was spoken in hushed whispers.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of daze
Verb
  • Anyone who wants to swoon over exceptional Mediterranean mezze in a gorgeous setting.
    — Connie Ogle August 4, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Traders flooded back into the market to snap up shares in tech companies that had recently swooned over doubts that the huge investments will yield adequate returns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of swoon

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Cite this Entry

“Faint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faint. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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