King James Bible Dictionary

FAIN, adjective

1. Glad; pleased; rejoiced. but the appropriate sense of the word is, glad or pleased to do something under some kind of necessity; that is, glad to evade evil or secure good. Thus, says Locke, 'The learned Castalio was fain to make trenches at Basil, to keep himself from starving.' this appropriation of the word, which is modern, led Dr. Johnson into a mistake in defining the word. The proper signification is glad, joyful.

FAIN, adverb Gladly; with joy or pleasure.

He would fain flee out of his hand. Job 27:22.

He would fain have filled his belly with husks. Luke 15:16.

FAIN, verb intransitive to wish or desire. [Not used.]

FA'INING, participle present tense wishing; desiring fondly.

In his faining eye.

FAINT, adjective [Latin 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 Lamentations 1:13.

FAINT, verb intransitive

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.

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

Let not your hearts faint Deuteronomy 20:3.

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Proverbs 24:10.

4. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.

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

FAINT, verb transitive To deject; to depress; to weaken. [Unusual.]

FAINTHEARTED, adjective Cowardly; timorous; dejected; easily depressed, or yielding to fear.

Fear not, neither be fainthearted Isaiah 7:4.

FAINTHEARTEDLY, adverb In a cowardly manner.

FAINTHEARTEDNESS, noun Cowardice; timorousness; want of courage.

Lamentations 2:12
Daniel 8:27

FA'INTING, participle present tense Falling into a swoon; failing; losing strength or courage; becoming feeble or timid.

FA'INTING, noun A temporary loss of strength, color and respiration; syncope; deliquium; leipothymy; a swoon.

FA'INTISH, adjective Slightly faint.

FA'INTISHNESS, noun A slight degree of faintness.

FA'INTLING, adjective Timorous; feeble-minded. [Not used.]

FA'INTLY, adverb

1. In a feeble, languid manner; without vigor or activity; as, to attack or defend faintly

2. With a feeble flame; as, a torch burns faintly

3. With a feeble light; as, the candle burns faintly

4. With little force; as, to breathe faintly

5. Without force of representation; imperfectly; as, to describe faintly what we have seen.

6. In a low tone; with a feeble voice; as, to speak faintly

7. Without spirit or courage; timorously.

He faintly now declines the fatal strife.

FA'INTNESS, noun

1. The state of being faint; loss of strength, color and respiration.

2. Feebleness; languor; want of strength.

3. Inactivity; want of vigor.

4. Feebleness, as of color or light.

5. Feebleness of representation; as faintness of description.

6. Feebleness of mind; timorousness; dejection; irresolution.

I will send a faintness into their hearts. Leviticus 26:36.

FAINTS, noun plural the gross fetid oil remaining after distillation, or a weak spirituous liquor that runs from the still in rectifying the low wines after the proof spirit is drawn off; also, the last runnings of all spirits distilled by the alembic.

FA'INTY, adjective weak; feeble; languid.