Fāint1, n.
n. The act of fainting, or the state of one who has fainted; a swoon. [Rare.] Seemed to me ne'er did limmer paint So just an image of the saint, Who propp'd the Virgin in her faint. W. Scott.
4 entries under this word
Faint
Fāint2, a.
a. [compar. FAINTER; superl. FAINTEST.] [O. Fr. faint, negligent, sluggish, lazy, p. p. of se feindre, de quelque chose; Pr. se fenher, to feign, to sham, to work negligently, from Lat. fingere, to contrive, devise, feign; hence Prov. Fr. faignant, lazy.]
Sense 1. Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
Sense 2. Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, “Faint heart never won fair lady.” Walpole.
Sense 3. Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound, or image, or the like.
Sense 4. Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; as, faint efforts; faint resistance. “The faint prosecution of the war.” Davies.
Fāint3, v. i.
v. i. [imp. & p. p. FAINTED; p. pr. & vb. n. FAINTING.]
Sense 1. 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.
On hearing the honor intended her, she fainted away. Guardian.
If I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way. Mark viii. 3.
Sense 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. 10.
Sense 3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.
Gilded clouds, while we gaze on them, faint before the eye. Pope.
Fāint4, v. t.
v. t. To cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.]
It faints me To think what follows. Shak.