Literary notes about FAINT (AI summary)
Writers employ "faint" to convey a sense of subtlety and transience, whether describing a barely noticeable physical reaction or an ephemeral atmospheric quality. It appears in portrayals of delicate emotions, such as a hesitant smile or a nearly imperceptible sigh that hints at inner turmoil [1, 2], and in the depiction of sensory details, like a soft glow or a muted sound drifting in the background that heightens the mood of a scene [3, 4]. Additionally, the word is used to express physical weakness and mental exhaustion, suggesting fragility in both the body and spirit [5, 6]. This versatility enables authors to evoke a gentle, almost imperceptible quality that intensifies the reader’s engagement with the narrative.
- "Very unfair to you, Cuth," said Wyvis, a faint smile showing itself for the first time on his haggard face.
— from A True Friend: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant - ‘“Ah! You were not sure,” I said, and was placated by the sound of a faint sigh that passed between us like the flight of a bird in the night.
— from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - When he was half-way down, he was disturbed to perceive that the landing below was touched by a faint glow of light.
— from The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain - The sound drifted over the water like faint, unearthly music wind-blown across a starlit sea.
— from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery - She crimsoned, turned white, crimsoned again, and grew faint, waiting with quivering lips for him to come to her.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - I felt too faint and weary to insist, and I let the moment pass.
— from The island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
