faint

adj., faint·er, faint·est.

1. Lacking strength or vigor; feeble.
2. Lacking conviction, boldness, or courage; timid.
3. 1. Lacking brightness: a faint light in the gloom.
   2. Lacking clarity or distinctness: a faint recollection.
4. Likely to fall into a faint; dizzy and weak: felt faint for a moment.

n.

An abrupt, usually brief loss of consciousness, generally associated with failure of normal blood circulation. See synonyms at blackout.

intr.v., faint·ed, faint·ing, faints.

1. To fall into a usually brief state of unconsciousness.
2. Archaic. To weaken in purpose or spirit.

[Middle English, deceitful, cowardly, from Old French, past participle of feindre, to feign. See feign.]

fainter faint'er n.
faintly faint'ly adv.
faintness faint'ness n.

Definition

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness, weakness of muscles, and inability to stand up, all caused by sudden loss of blood flow to the brain. Fainting is a relatively common symptom caused by a variety of problems relating to changes in blood pressure. The American Heart Association reports that fainting is responsible for 3% of all visits to emergency rooms and 6% of all admissions to hospitals.

Description

Fainting is a common symptom, also called syncope, vasovagal attack, neurally mediated syncope (NMS), neurocardiogenic syncope, and vasodepressor or reflex mediated syncope. Most simple faints result from an overstimulation of the autonomic nervous system that results in a drop in blood pressure and a slowed heart rate. Both of these conditions decrease blood flow to the brain, which causes a feeling of lightheadedness (presyncope) or a complete loss of consciousness (syncope). Fainting usually occurs in people who are standing or sitting upright. A person about to faint may also feel nauseated, weak, and warm. The person may experience temporary visual impairment, headache, ringing in the ears, shortness of breath, sensation of spinning, tingling in the extremities, and incontinence. A person experiencing presyncope may also appear pale or bluish. When consciousness is lost, a person usually falls down. This allows for more blood flow to the brain, resulting in a return to consciousness, usually within a few minutes.

Causes

Fainting is caused by a variety of factors, including stress, pain, overheating, dehydration, excessive sweating, exhaustion, hunger, alcohol, and drugs. Fainting may also be a side effect of some medications. A simple faint resulting from any of these factors is usually not a symptom of a neurological disorder.

Some people faint when changing positions, a condition known as postural hypotension. When people with this condition move from a lying position to a standing or sitting position, the sudden pooling of blood in the legs may cause a temporary decrease in blood circulation to the brain, causing a faint. This condition is common in elderly people who have been bedridden for some time and in people with poor muscle tone.

Some faints indicate serious disorders of the nervous or circulatory systems. Nervous system disorders that cause faints include acute or subacute dysautonomia, post-ganglionic autonomic insufficiency, and chronic preganglionic autonomic insufficiency. Fainting may also signal an irregular pattern of nervous stimulation such as micturition syncope (fainting while urinating), glossopharyngeal neuralgia (irritation of the ninth cranial nerve, causing pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsils), cough syncope (fainting while coughing violently), and stretch syncope (fainting when stretching arms and neck). Faints can also indicate problems with the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate, and with disorders such as diabetes, alcoholism, malnutrition, and amyloidosis. Fainting can signal circulatory problems, particularly those that disrupt blood flow to the brain, as well as problems with the electrical impulses that control the heart, problems with the sinus node of the heart, heart arrhythmia, blood clots in the lung, a narrowing of the aorta, or other anatomical irregularities in the heart. Additionally, hyperventilation, usually associated with anxiety or panic, can result in a faint.

Diagnosis

Patients visiting a doctor because of fainting will usually have their blood pressure checked when they are lying down and then again after they stand up. If there is a significant decrease in blood pressure, it may indicate postural hypotension. A more sophisticated form of this blood pressure test is a tilt test, during which a person is strapped to a board that is rotated from the horizontal to the vertical position. Blood pressure is measured in both positions; an extreme drop indicates postural hypotension.

To test for circulatory problems, a physician may also use an electrocardiogram (EKG) to test for abnormalities of the heart beat. Exercise stress tests or wearing a Holter monitor for a day may also be performed to check for disorders of the heart. Fainting suspected to be caused by neurological disorders requires additional tests and evaluation by a neurologist.

Treatment

If a person faints while sitting, the body weight should be supported and the head positioned between the knees. If a person faints while standing, the individual should be carefully lowered to the ground and the legs elevated. Any tight clothes, including belts and collars, should be loosened. The head should be turned to the side so that the tongue does not obstruct the trachea and any vomit can be cleared from the airway. If the person stops breathing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started and a call should be placed to emergency medical services. A person who has fainted may benefit from cold compresses to the head and neck. After the person regains consciousness, he or she should remain lying or sitting for some time and should stand up only if no feeling of light-headedness persists.

A person who faints often will be treated for the underlying condition. Often, medications are used to control fainting; however, other methods may be helpful as well. In some people, changing to a high-salt diet or wearing support hose to keep blood from pooling in the legs prevents fainting. Some people may be able to prevent fainting by keeping glucose levels at a more constant level or by learning breathing techniques to prevent hyperventilation. Another technique for preventing faints is drinking enough fluid to keep blood volume high.

Resources

BOOKS

Icon Health Publications. The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Syncope: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age. San Diego, CA: ICON Group International, 2003.

OTHER

DeNoon, Daniel. Fainting Is a Serious Symptom. WebMD. January 14, 2002 (March 18, 2004). http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/35/1728_96070.htm.

Fainting. FamilyDoctor. March, 2002 (March 18, 2004). http://familydoctor.org/x1682.xml?printxml.

Grayson, Charlotte. Understanding Fainting—The Basics. WebMD. January 1, 2002 (March 18, 2004). http://mywebmd.com/content/article/7/2951_478.

The Mayo Clinic Staff. Simple Faint (Vasovagal Syncope). The Mayo Clinic. June 26, 2003 (March 18, 2004). http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00103.

Syncope. American Heart Association. December 22, 2003 (March 18, 2004). http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4749.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Heart Association National Center. 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231. (800) AHA-USA1. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000.

National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute. P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105. (301) 592-8573; Fax: (301) 592-8563. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. P.O. Box 5801, Bethesda, MD 20824. (301) 496-5751 or (800) 352-9424. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/.

Juli M. Berwald

adjective

1. Free from severity or violence, as in movement: balmy¹, delicate, gentle, mild, smooth, soft. See calm/agitation, strong/weak.
2. So lacking in strength as to be barely audible: feeble, weak. See strong/weak.
3. Small in degree, especially of probability: negligible, outside, remote, slender, slight, slim. See big/small/amount.
4. Not clearly perceived or perceptible: blear, bleary, cloudy, dim, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, misty, obscure, shadowy, unclear, undistinct, vague. See clear/unclear.

noun

A temporary loss of consciousness: blackout, swoon. Pathology syncope. See awareness/unawareness.

verb

To suffer temporary lack of consciousness: black out, keel over, pass out, swoon. See awareness/unawareness.

adj

Definition: have little effect on senses
Antonyms: clear, distinct, heavy, loud, strong

adj

Definition: weak
Antonyms: bold, brave, courageous, resolute, strong

n

Definition: unconsciousness
Antonyms: consciousness

v

Definition: lose consciousness
Antonyms: revive

---

n

A state of syncope, or swooning.

Temporary loss of consciousness due to generalized cerebral ischemia; syncope. The term is not generally applied to animals.

IN BRIEF: Not strong or clear; or very light in appearance. Also: to black out and fall.

It was time to change the ink cartridge in the printer because the words were too faint too read.

Tutor's tip: The soccer player felt as thought he was going to "faint" (to temporarily lose consciousness) after making an incredible "feint" (a pretended blow or attack; a deceptive move) to score the goal.

  ["You're gonna listen to me like it or not, right now","So, I let go watchin' you, turn your back","Like it or not, right now, hear me out now","","","I can't convince you for once just to hear me out","","No, hear me out now, you're gonna listen to me","","Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored","","","I am what you never want to say but I've never","So, I let go watchin' you, turn your back","I am a little bit insecure, a little unconfident","But I'll be here 'cause you are all that I've got","I won't be ignored, time won't heal this damage anymore","Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored","But it's like no matter what I do","Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored","","I am what I want you to want, what I want you to feel","Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact","Like you always do, face away and pretend that I'm not","I won't be ignored, time won't heal this damage anymore","Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored","That everyone can see these scars","","But sometimes I don't make sense","","I won't be ignored, time won't heal this damage anymore","I can't feel the way I did before, don't turn your back on me","Had a doubt, it's like no matter what I do","","I can't feel the way I did before, don't turn your back on me","I can't convince you to just believe this is real","'Cause you don't understand, I do what I can","Like you always do, face away and pretend that I'm not","I can't feel the way I did before, don't turn your back on me","Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored","But I'll be here 'cause you are all that I've got","I am a little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard","I can't feel the way I did before","","I can't feel, I won't be ignored, time won't heal"]

Performed by: Linkin Park
Written by: Chester Bennington; Rob Bourdon; Brad Delson; Darren Farrell; Joseph Hahn; Mike Shinoda

Credits: Bennington, Chester (Songwriter); Bourdon, Rob (Songwriter); Delson, Brad (Songwriter); Farrell, Darren (Songwriter); Hahn, Joseph (Songwriter); Shinoda, Mike (Songwriter); BIG BAD MR HAHN MUSIC (Publisher); CHESTERCHAZ PUBLISHING (Publisher); KENJI KOBAYASHI MUSIC (Publisher); NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT MUSIC (Publisher); PANCAKEY CAKES MUSIC (Publisher); ROB BOURDON MUSIC (Publisher); UNIVERSAL MUSIC - Z SONGS (Publisher)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - svag, kraftesløs, frygtsom
v. intr. - besvime, smægte, tabe modet, falde i afmagt
n. - besvimelse, afmagt

idioms:

• not the faintest    ikke det fjerneste

Nederlands (Dutch)
flauwvallen, flauwte, kleinmoedig, zwak, flauw, vaag, benauwd, bedeesd

Français (French)
adj. - faible, à peine visible, à peine lisible, minime (une chance), tiède, pâle, délavé, léger, vague, peu précis, indistinct
v. intr. - s'évanouir, tomber en syncope
n. - évanouissement, syncope

idioms:

• not have the faintest    ne pas avoir la moindre idée

Deutsch (German)
v. - ohnmächtig werden
n. - Ohnmacht
adj. - matt, schwach, leise

idioms:

• not have the faintest    nicht die geringste, nicht die leiseste

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - λιποθυμώ, εξασθενώ, σβήνω
n. - λιποθυμία
adj. - εξασθενημένος, λιπόψυχος, αμυδρός, άτονος, ανεπαίσθητος, δυσδιάκριτος, ξεθωριασμένος

idioms:

• not the faintest    την παραμικρή

Italiano (Italian)
svenire, svenimento, smorzato, debole, vago, pusillanime

idioms:

• not the faintest    senza la minima

Português (Portuguese)
v. - desmaiar
n. - desmaio
adj. - desmaiado, pouco

idioms:

• not the faintest    não ter a menor (idéia sobre algo ou chance de sucesso)

Русский (Russian)
ослабевать, падать в обморок, обморок, головокружение, ослабевший, неотчетливый, тусклый, неясный

idioms:

• not the faintest    (не иметь) ни малейшего представления

Español (Spanish)
adj. - amortiguado, apagado, casi imperceptible, borroso, indistinto, timorato, temeroso, tenue, vago, ligero
v. intr. - desmayarse, perder el conocimiento, debilitarse
n. - desmayo, desfallecimiento, desvanecimiento

idioms:

• not have the faintest    no tener ni la más mínima..., ni la más mínima...., ni la más remota...

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - svimma
n. - svimning
adj. - svag, dunkel, svimfärdig, kväljande, klenmodig

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
微弱的, 模糊的, 无力的, 昏倒, 变得微弱, 昏晕

idioms:

• not the faintest    一点也没有

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 微弱的, 模糊的, 無力的
v. intr. - 昏倒, 變得微弱
n. - 昏暈, 昏倒

idioms:

• not the faintest    一點也沒有

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 희미한, 힘없는, 활기가 없는, 쇠약해진
v. intr. - 졸도하다, 약해지다
n. - 기절, 실신

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - かすかな, 力のない, 活気のない, 勇気のない, 気の弱い, めまいがして, 弱々しい
v. - 卒倒する, 気絶する
n. - 気絶

idioms:

• not the faintest    ほとんどない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يصاب بإغماء أو دوار (الاسم) إغماء (صفه) باهت , ضعيف , متردد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮דהוי, קלוש, רפה, חלש‬
v. intr. - ‮נחלש, התעלף‬
n. - ‮התעלפות‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.

faint yellow diamonds