faint

FAINT, a. [L. vanus, whence to vanish. Eng. to wane.]

1. weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, to be rendered faint by excessive evacuations.

2. Weak; feeble; languid; exhausted; as faint with fatigue, hunger or thirst.

3. Weak, as color; not bright or vivid; not strong; as a faint color; a faint red or blue; a faint light.

4. Feeble; weak, as sound; not loud; as a faint sound; a faint voice.

5. Imperfect; feeble; not striking; as a faint resemblance or image.

6. Cowardly; timorous. A faint heart never wins a fair lady.

7. Feeble; not vigorous; not active; as a faint resistance; a faint exertion.

8. Dejected; depressed; dispirited.

My heart is faint. Lam. 1.

FAINT, v.i.

1. To lose the animal functions; to lose strength and color, and become senseless and motionless; to swoon; sometimes with away. he fainted for loss of blood.

On hearing the honor intended her, she fainted away.

2. To become feeble; to decline or fail in strength and vigor; to be weak.

If I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way. Mark 8.

3. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or spirit.

Let not your hearts faint. Deut. 20.

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Prov. 24.

4. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.

Gilded clouds, while we gaze on them, faint before the eye.

FAINT, v.t. To deject; to depress; to weaken. [Unusual.]

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