fain

(fān)
adv.

1. Happily; gladly: "I would fain improve every opportunity to wonder and worship, as a sunflower welcomes the light" (Henry David Thoreau).
2. Archaic. Preferably; rather.

adj. Archaic

1. Ready; willing.
2. Pleased; happy.
3. Obliged or required.

[Middle English, from Old English fægen, joyful, glad.]

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adjective

Disposed to accept or agree: acquiescent, agreeable, game, minded, ready, willing. See willing/unwilling.

IN BRIEF: Glad or ready. Also: reluctantly willing.

If all the skies were sunshine Our faces would be fain To feel once more upon them The cooling splash of rain. — Henry van Dyke (1852-1933).

Tutor's tip: The prince chose to "feign" (to pretend) euphoria as he left the "fane" (a place of worship), telling his beloved that he would "fain" (ready; eager; happily) slay any dragon to save her.

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verb
verb, Brit, orig dialect

Used by children as a truce-word in the expressions fains or fain(s I, fain it, fainit(e)s to request temporary withdrawal from a game and exemption from any penalty for so doing. (1870 —) .
J. Betjeman 'I'd rather not.' 'Fains I.' 'It's up to you' (1948).

[Variant of obs. fen to forbid, perh. an alteration of fend verb.]

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See words rhyming with "fain."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Fain.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - glad, villig
adv. - gladelig, villigt

Nederlands (Dutch)
gaarne, genoodzaakt, bereid, liever

Français (French)
adj. - de bonne volonté, contraint (arch)
adv. - volontiers (arch, littér)

Deutsch (German)
adv. - bereitwillig, gern
adj. - (ehem.) froh, erfreut, zufrieden

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - (απαρχ.) ευχαρίστως, ασμένως

Italiano (Italian)
volentieri, di buon grado

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - com prazer

Русский (Russian)
охотно

Español (Spanish)
adj. - contento, dispuesto, resignado
adv. - con mucho gusto, de buena gana, alegremente, gustosamente

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - vilja

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
乐意的, 只得..., 不得不的, 欣然, 乐意

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 樂意的, 只得..., 不得不的
adv. - 欣然, 樂意

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 기쁜, 어쩔 수 없이 ~하는, 열심인, 바라는
adv. - 기꺼이

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - …はご免だよ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) بسرور‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מעדיף, מרוצה, חייב ל-, רוצה בנסיבות הקיימות‬
adv. - ‮ברצון‬

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