Faint (fānt), a. [Compar. Fainter (-&etilde;r); superl. Faintest.] [OE. feint, faint, false, faint, F. feint, p. p. of feindre to feign, suppose, hesitate. See Feign, 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.

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.

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.

If I send them away fasting . . . they will faint by the way.

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.

3. To decay; to disappear; to vanish.

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

Faint (?), v. t. To cause to faint or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.]

It faints me to think what follows.

• Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
  
• Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy; timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed.
       "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." Robert Burns - To Dr. Blackjack.
  
• Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible; striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound.
  
• Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance.
  
• The act of fainting.
  
• (rare) The state of one who has fainted; a swoon.
  
• To lose consciousness. Caused by a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of a suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions).