fainting definition - Dictionary

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faint

faint [ faynt ]

adjective (comparative faint·er, superlative faint·est)

Definition:

1. dim: not bright, clear, or loud

2. unenthusiastic: done feebly and without conviction

damned the new book with faint praise

3. dizzy: dizzy or weak, as if about to become unconscious

All of a sudden he felt faint.

4. slight: remote or slight

a faint chance

intransitive verb (past and past participle faint·ed, present participle faint·ing, 3rd person present singular faints)

Definition:

1. lose consciousness briefly: to become unconscious, especially for a short time, because of a reduction in the flow of blood to the brain

2. weaken: to become weak or lose courage ( archaic )

noun (plural faints)

Definition:

sudden loss of consciousness: a sudden, usually brief, loss of consciousness, caused by a reduction in the flow of blood to the brain.
Technical name syncope (sense 1)

[13th century. < Old French< faindre "pretend, shirk"]

faint·er noun

faint·ly adverb

faint·ness noun

Spelling Note


	faint or feint? Do not confuse the spelling of faint and feint, which sound similar. Faint, the more frequent of the two words, can be used as an adjective meaning "dizzy," "weak," or "slight" (as in to feel faint, a faint smell, a faint chance), or as a noun or verb referring to a sudden loss of consciousness. Feint is a noun or verb referring to a deceptive action in sport or combat.