fain 1 of 2

as in willing
having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action) during the Renaissance most men of science and the arts were fain to express their noblest thoughts in Latin, the lingua franca of the learned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fain

2 of 2

adverb

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fain
Adjective
  • After a splashy debut at Cannes, no major U.S. distributor seemed willing to touch the controversial feature until upstart Briarcliff picked it up.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Bankers, who often complain that uncertainty is bad for business, are now willing to try all sorts of deals to see what will work.
    Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Adverb
  • The freeze on these cases isn't to scrap student debt forgiveness altogether, but rather to take a 'wait-and-see' approach to how the new administration wants to reshape the programs put in place from the one that preceded them.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
  • President Donald Trump‘s eye-catching foreign policy at the start of his second term is more than just a series of fanciful, off-the-cuff suggestions and is rather an attempt to strong-arm unwilling leaders to the negotiating table, insiders say.
    Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Florida ain’t ready for this | Commentary Snow in Florida?
    Milena Malaver, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Hurts, who was limited in Wednesday's practice and a full participant Thursday, is expected to be ready for the game.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But the City by the Bay was not the only one with glad tidings.
    Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
  • So glad The Athletic finally has a team dedicated to creating data visualizations!
    Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The strategist suggested that Trump’s immediate lame-duck status, having already served one term, may also make some of his critics more inclined to accept him this time around.
    Brett Samuels, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
  • At this point, the Canucks seem more inclined to move Miller than Pettersson.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near fain

Cite this Entry

“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!