Just like other homophones, the words faint and feint cause confusion to some people because they now only sound alike, but their spellings are also separated by just a single letter. Despite these similarities, these two terms have very different meanings and uses. In this post, we will show how you can properly distinguish between the two words in order to use them accurately in your sentences.
The word faint can be used as an adjective to mean “of a sight, smell, or sound barely perceptible.”
A Faint Opportunity to Mend EU-Turkey Ties
Carnegie EuropePower ease Showdown pain to end Collingwood’s faint hopes
The Australian‘Did you hear that?’: Amid Baltimore’s surge in killings, a faint cry in a locked car
Washington Post
It may also function as a verb meaning “to lose consciousness for a short time because of a temporarily insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain.”
Festivalgoers reportedly faint in queue for Boomtown fair after festival ramps up security
The TelegraphDramatic moment straphangers save young woman who fainted and tumbled onto Boston subway track moments before train roared in
Daily MailCanal murder accused ‘fainted’ when he heard of death
BBC News
The idiom faint of heart means “lacking the courage to face something difficult or dangerous,” usually used in the phrase not for the faint of heart.
This 25-Inch-Wide Hanging Bridge Is Not For The Faint Of Heart
HuffPost
On the other hand, the word feint can be used as a noun referring to “a deceptive or pretended blow, thrust, or other movement, especially in boxing or fencing.”
“Miocic does most of his work from the outside, where he’s active with his footwork and feints.”
MMA Mania“Attack and parry timings, using feints, and precision aiming of spears and heavy sticks are all significant factors.”
PC Gamer
It may also function as a verb meaning “to make a deceptive or distracting movement, typically during a fight.”
Competitors feint, lunge and parry during fencing event at Asian Games
The Globe and Mail“He feinted Fleury and had an easy goal as he fired the puck into the net over the sprawled-out goaltender.”
Bleacher Report“He looked left and turned back. He feinted in a bid to beat his marker before retreating”
Daily Mail
Now that you’ve determined the differences between faint and feint, you will be able to use them properly in your writing. Remember that faint is to lack perception or consciousness while feint is to deceive opponents.
