faintest
faintest — 形容詞
- faintestpositive
- more faintestcomparative
- most faintestsuperlative
1. something that is very weak in strength, amount, or degree, making it hard to no
微弱的
不強烈、不明顯的
something that is very weak in strength, amount, or degree, making it hard to notice or perceive clearly — for example, a sound that is almost inaudible, a light that is dim, or a chance that is extremely small.
From the lane, Maja heard the faintest sound of piano music.
Maja 聽到巷子傳來微弱的鋼琴聲。
faintest + sound — refers to barely audible noise
There was not the faintest chance of rain, so the picnic went ahead as planned.
完全沒有下雨的可能，所以野餐照常進行。
not the faintest chance — emphasising an extremely small possibility
Even the faintest light from the window was enough to wake the baby.
窗戶透進一絲微弱的光線，就足夠把嬰兒吵醒。
Henry drew the faintest line on the paper with an old pencil.
Henry 用一支舊鉛筆在紙上畫了一條淡淡的線。
The two paintings share the faintest resemblance, though they were painted fifty years apart.
這兩幅畫雖然相隔五十年創作，卻只有極其微弱的相似之處。
- slight
very similar in meaning; 'slightest' is a more common alternative in negative sentences ('not the slightest chance')
- dim
specifically of light or visibility; not used for abstract quantities like chance or resemblance
- vague
used for unclear memories, ideas, or shapes; overlaps with 'faint' for perceptions but not for physical weakness
用法筆記
Often used with 'not' to strongly deny the smallest amount of something (see sense 2 for the idiomatic expression 'not the faintest idea').
常見錯誤
2. used in the fixed expression 'not have the faintest idea / notion / clue' to str
絲毫不
強調完全不知道
used in the fixed expression 'not have the faintest idea / notion / clue' to strongly emphasise that you know absolutely nothing about something or have no understanding of it at all.
Romi did not have the faintest idea what page the homework was on.
Romi 完全不知道作業在第幾頁。
not have the faintest idea + wh-clause
The mechanic had not the faintest notion how to fix the old car engine.
那位技師對如何修理老舊汽車引擎一點概念也沒有。
Tariro admitted she did not have the faintest clue where the library was.
被問路的時候，Tariro 承認她完全不知道圖書館在哪裡。
Minho had not the faintest idea where the torch was kept.
停電的時候，Minho 完全不知道手電筒放在哪裡。
用法筆記
Almost always appears in negative constructions. The word 'faintest' cannot be replaced with 'faint' in this fixed expression — it is a fossilised superlative.
常見錯誤
3. experiencing a sudden weakness and dizziness that makes you feel you might lose
暈眩的
感到虛弱快要昏倒
experiencing a sudden weakness and dizziness that makes you feel you might lose consciousness and fall — typically triggered by heat, hunger, fear, or the sight of blood.
After two hours in the hot sun, Vivek felt faint and had to sit down.
在大太陽底下站了兩個小時後，Vivek 感到頭暈，只好坐下來。
feel faint + cause (standing in hot sun)
The smell of the strong medicine made Adina feel faint, so she opened a window.
那濃烈的藥味讓 Adina 覺得快昏倒了，於是她打開窗戶。
Darius felt faint when he saw the amount of blood on the hospital floor.
Darius 看到醫院地板上的血跡時，感到一陣暈眩。
The nurse told the students to drink water or they might feel faint.
護士提醒學生們要多喝水，否則可能會頭暈。
- dizzy
more general; dizziness does not always lead to losing consciousness, while feeling faint suggests that outcome is possible
- lightheaded
very similar; focuses on the sensation in the head rather than overall weakness
用法筆記
Always describes a temporary physical state, not a personality trait. Typically follows 'feel', 'become', or 'grow'. The verb 'faint' describes the actual loss of consciousness; 'feel faint' describes the sensation before losing consciousness.
常見錯誤
4. lacking the bravery, determination, or strength of character needed to face a di
懦弱的
缺乏勇氣的；膽小的
lacking the bravery, determination, or strength of character needed to face a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situation, and therefore avoiding it or giving up too easily.
Sirin was not faint-hearted enough to walk away from the risky plan.
Sirin 還不至於膽小到從那個風險很高的計畫中臨陣脫逃。
faint-hearted — common compound form of this sense
The general had no use for faint-hearted soldiers who would not stand their ground.
將軍認為那些不敢堅守陣地的士兵毫無用處。
Xiu thought her brother was too faint-hearted to argue with the landlord.
Xiu 覺得她哥哥太懦弱，不敢跟房東爭論。
A faint heart never won a fair maiden, the old grandmother told Ignacio.
老奶奶告訴 Ignacio，膽小的心永遠贏不到美麗的姑娘。
- cowardly
stronger and more negative; 'faint' in this sense is softer and often implies pity rather than contempt
- timid
focuses on shyness and lack of confidence rather than moral weakness
- weak-willed
emphasises a lack of resolve or determination to stick to one's principles
- brave
willing to face danger or difficulty
- courageous
showing determination in the face of fear
用法筆記
This sense is increasingly rare in modern everyday speech. It survives mainly in fixed expressions ('faint of heart', 'faint-hearted') and in literary or formal contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 ('not strong or clear') — that sense applies to things, while this sense describes people or their actions.
常見錯誤
faintest — 動詞
- faintestpresent simple I / you / we / they
- faintests3rd person singular
- faintesting-ing form
- faintestedpast simple
1. to suddenly lose consciousness for a short period of time, usually because of sh
昏倒
突然短暫失去知覺
to suddenly lose consciousness for a short period of time, usually because of shock, extreme heat, hunger, fear, or the sight of blood, and typically fall down as a result.
Maja fainted when she heard the terrible news about the earthquake in her hometown.
Maja 聽到家鄉發生地震的壞消息時，當場昏倒了。
faint + cause (strong emotional shock)
The heat inside the crowded train was so intense that several passengers fainted.
擁擠的火車內溫度實在太高，好幾名乘客都昏倒了。
Yuna almost fainted from hunger after skipping breakfast and lunch during the exam week.
Yuna 在考試週期間沒吃早餐和午餐，差點因為飢餓而昏倒。
The doctor said the old man did not faint — he simply fell asleep from exhaustion.
醫生說那位老先生並不是昏倒，他只是因為太累而睡著了。
- wake up
the act of regaining consciousness after any period of unconsciousness
- come round
British English phrasal verb meaning to regain consciousness after fainting
用法筆記
Intransitive only — there is no direct object. The cause is introduced by 'from', 'with', or 'at' ('faint from hunger', 'faint with shock', 'faint at the sight of blood'). Unlike the adjective 'feel faint', the verb describes the actual moment of losing consciousness, not just the sensation.
常見錯誤
faintest — 名詞
1. a short period during which someone is unconscious, caused by a temporary drop i
昏厥
短暫失去知覺的狀態
a short period during which someone is unconscious, caused by a temporary drop in blood flow to the brain, and often accompanied by falling down.
Romi fell into a faint when she saw the snake on the kitchen floor.
Romi 在廚房地板上看到蛇時，嚇得昏了過去。
fall into a faint — common fixed collocation
The actress collapsed in a faint right after the final curtain fell on stage.
那位女演員在舞臺上的最後一幕結束後當場昏倒了。
collapse in a faint — alternative collocation
The elderly passenger recovered from his faint within a few minutes and asked for cold water.
那位年長乘客幾分鐘後就從昏厥中醒來，要了一杯冷水。
During the roller-coaster ride, the young girl had a sudden faint while the ride was at its highest point.
在雲霄飛車爬到最高點時，那個小女孩突然昏了過去。
用法筆記
The noun 'faint' is countable (a faint, two faints) but less common in everyday speech than the verb. It typically appears in fixed phrases like 'fall into a faint' or 'collapse in a faint', which are now considered slightly literary or old-fashioned; most speakers say 'she fainted' rather than 'she had a faint'.