Faint (?), a. [Compar. Fainter (-?r); superl. Faintest.] [OE. faint, feint, false, faint, F. feint, p.p. of feindre to feign, suppose, hesitate. See Faign, and cf. Feint.] 1. Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
2. Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady."
Old Proverb.
3. Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound.
4. 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.
© Webster 1913.
Faint, n. 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.
© Webster 1913.
Faint, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fainting.] 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. 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. 8.
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.
3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.
Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint before the eye.
Pope.
© Webster 1913.
Faint (?), v. t. To cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.]
It faints me to think what follows.
Shak.
© Webster 1913. | 
