Faint vs. Feint (Grammar Rules)
Learn when to use faint vs. feint in your writing with Grammar Rules from the Writer’s Digest editors, including a few examples. Plus, we answer whether it’s “faint of heart” or “feint of heart.”
In my teenage years, I had a bit of a fainting problem, but also, perhaps, a bit of a feinting problem as well, and both were (mostly) related to sports. But what do I mean when I use each of these homophones? And which one do I use when referring to someone who lacks the courage to face a dangerous situation? Is it "faint of heart" or "feint of heart"?
In this post, we'll discuss all that and more, including a few examples of faint and feint.
Faint vs. Feint
Faint can be used as a noun, verb, or adjective. As a verb, it refers to the action of losing consciousness because of a lack of blood to the brain. For instance, I passed out, or fainted, several times during my teenage years, especially during track practices when I pushed my body to its limits in speed work. The noun version of faint refers to the actual physiological process of fainting. As an adjective, faint can describe someone who feels cowardly, someone who feels weak or dizzy, and/or someone who's lacking strength. This final one can also describe things as well, like a faint light.
Feint, on the other hand, is used primarily as a noun or verb. The noun refers to a fake attack to one area that's meant to distract attention from where the real attack is meant to land. This term is used often in relation to military attacks, but also many sports, especially boxing. The verb is just the act of feinting. In many competitive endeavors, a feint is a strategic way to accomplish a goal by lowering your opponent's defenses.
Make sense?
Here are a couple examples of faint and feint:
Correct: He felt faint after standing up too fast.
Incorrect: He felt feint after standing up too fast.
Correct: She feinted to the left before grabbing what she really wanted on the right.
Incorrect: She fainted to the left before grabbing what she really wanted on the right.
To faint is to pass out (or feel like you will); to feint is to fake out (possibly even faking that you're about to pass out) to distract from your true goal. And I'm sorry to say that I don't have a way of keeping them straight in my head other than knowing that each is what it is. However, please share any tricks you have in the comments below.
So which is it? Faint of heart or feint of heart?
The commonly used phrase is "faint of heart," which describes lacking the courage to face a dangerous situation. As in, "this is not for the faint of heart."
However, I think the phrase "feint of heart" is also sort of interesting and should probably be the title of a romance novel (if it's not already), since the premise is sort of built into the title.
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No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
