faint: [13] Faint comes from Old French faint, which was originally the past participle of the verb faindre, feindre ‘pretend, shirk’ (whence English feign). This meant ‘pretended, simulated’, ‘lazy, shirking’, and ‘cowardly’, and all these senses were originally taken over by English. None now survives except the last, in the phrase faint heart, but in their place the underlying notion of ‘feebleness’ has produced ‘not bright, dim’ and ‘weak and dizzy’. The verb, based on the second of these, developed in the late 14th century. The variant spelling feint, used of printed lines, was introduced in the mid 19th century. => feign
faint (adj.)
c. 1300, "enfeebled; wearied, exhausted," from Old French faint, feint "false, deceitful; sham, artificial; weak, faint, lazy, indolent, cowardly," past participle of feindre "hesitate, falter, be indolent, show weakness, avoid one's duty by pretending" (see feign). Also from c. 1300 as "deceitful; unreliable; false." Meaning "wanting in spirit or courage, cowardly" (a sense now mostly encountered in faint-hearted) is from early 14c. From early 15c. of actions, functions, colors, etc., "weak, feeble, poor." Meaning "producing a feeble impression upon the senses" is from 1650s.
faint (v.)
c. 1300, "grow weak, become enfeebled," also "lack courage or spirit, be faint-hearted," and "to pretend, feign;" from faint (adj.). Sense of "swoon, lose consciousness" is from c. 1400. Also used in Middle English of the fading of colors, flowers, etc. Related: Fainted; fainting. For Chaucer and Shakespeare, also a transitive verb ("It faints me").
faint (n.)
c. 1300, "faintness, faint-heartedness," from faint (adj.). From 1808 as "a swoon."
实用例句
1. It's a film about a serial killer and not for the faint-hearted.
这部电影是讲一个连环杀手的，不适合胆小的人看。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Their instruments detected very faint radiowaves at a frequency of 3 kilohertz.
他们的仪器检测到一个3千赫的微弱无线电波。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Don't be faint-hearted when things seem a bit slow or boring.
事情变得有点沉闷无聊的时候，不要胆怯。
来自柯林斯例句
4. A faint smile crossed the Monsignor's face and faded quickly.
一丝敷衍的微笑从那位大人脸上掠过，很快就消失了。
来自柯林斯例句
5. A faint smile of reminiscence appeared on her face..
