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
as in rather
by choice or preference
"I would fain not marry that suitor, my lord," the princess pleaded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fain
Adjective
-
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 -
Butler was willing to fly separately, but the Heat told him not to bother, opting to suspend him instead.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
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
-
Along with the star guard, the crowd was also glad to see that Asher appeared mostly unscathed, clapping and whooping for the good sport as the game resumed.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
26 Jan. 2025
-
So glad The Athletic finally has a team dedicated to creating data visualizations!—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
The Athletic,
22 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 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share