GC: adj
S: UNICEF – http://www.unicef.org/republicadominicana/english/reallives_16578.htm (last access: 7 June 2015)
N: 1. 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.
2. weak, dizzy, and likely to faint; lacking strength or vigor: performed, offered, or accomplished weakly or languidly <faint praise>.
3. Collocations:
– not strong or clear:
- Verbs: be, look, sound His voice sounded faint and far away. | become, grow The whispers grew fainter and fainter, then stopped altogether.
– near to losing consciousness:
- Verbs: be, feel, look.
- Adv.: extremely, very | almost | a bit, a little, quite I was beginning to feel a little faint.
- Prep.: with I was faint with hunger.
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=faint&searchmode=none (last access: 7 June 2015). 2. MW – http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faint (last access: 7 June 2015). 3. http://oxforddictionary.so8848.com/search?word=faint (last access: 7 June 2015).
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