Words / B1

FAYNT/feɪnt/

Faint means weak or slight: a faint chance; a faint smell; faint praise. As a verb it means to lose consciousness briefly. Weak is everyday; slight is close for degree. Do not write “a faint of” for a collapse — say she fainted or a fainting fit. In exams, a faint hope still needs evidence.

Meaning

Weak, slight, or hard to notice; as a verb, to lose consciousness for a short time.

Examples

• “There is only a faint chance of extra funding this year.”
• “He felt faint in the crowded hall and sat down, which is the medical sense.”

Good to know

a faint chance / smell / sound. Verb: faint (lose consciousness). Everyday: weak / slight. Not “a faint of”.

Near in meaning

slight

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