Faint (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Lacking strength or vigor; "damning with faint praise"; "faint resistance"; "feeble efforts"; "a feeble voice".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The old man's faint voice was barely audible as he tried to speak.
- Her faint protests were drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
- The doctor warned that the patient's faint pulse was a cause for concern.
- The teacher's faint smile suggested she was trying to be encouraging but wasn't entirely convinced.
- The critic's review was faint praise, mentioning only a few minor virtues while ignoring the major flaws.
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Meaning 2
Weak and likely to lose consciousness; "suddenly felt faint from the pain"; "was sick and faint from hunger"; "felt light in the head"; "a swooning fit"; "light-headed with wine"; "light-headed from lack of sleep".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- I suddenly felt faint from the pain and had to sit down.
- She was sick and faint from hunger after not eating for days.
- After not sleeping for 24 hours, I felt light in the head and had to lie down.
- The actress's character had a swooning fit on stage, complete with dramatic arm flailing.
- He became light-headed with wine on his wedding day and nearly fell over during the ceremony.
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Meaning 3
Deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc; "a faint outline"; "the wan sun cast faint shadows"; "the faint light of a distant candle"; "weak colors"; "a faint hissing sound"; "a faint aroma"; "a weak pulse".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The stars shone with a faint light in the overcast sky.
- A faint scent of perfume lingered on her scarf.
- The sound of the ocean was faint from this distance.
- The colors of the painting had faded to faint pastels.
- The doctor detected a faint pulse in the patient's wrist.
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Meaning 4
Lacking conviction or boldness or courage; "faint heart ne'er won fair lady".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The politicians' faint opposition to the proposed bill was widely criticized by the public.
- She struggled with her faint voice in the large auditorium, but managed to convey her message.
- The team's faint attempts to rally in the final quarter were unsuccessful.
- The coach didn't have a faint hope that the team would win the championship this year.
- The artist's faint strokes on the canvas were barely visible to the naked eye.
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Meaning 5
Lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The musician's faint melody was barely audible in the background noise of the city.
- Her memories of the tragic event were faint and fragmented.
- The smell of smoke was faint but unmistakable in the air.
- The constellation was hard to spot due to its faint light in the night sky.
- A faint scent of perfume lingered on the old letters.
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Meaning 6
Indistinctly understood or felt or perceived; "a faint clue to the origin of the mystery"; "haven't the faintest idea".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- I haven't the faintest idea where we're going to find the key.
- She has a faint memory of meeting him at the party.
- There was a faint sound of running water coming from outside the window.
- I couldn't pick up any details from the conversation, I just got a faint impression of their discussion.
- After searching for hours, the police found a faint fingerprint on the glass.