faintly

adverb

Definition of faintlynext
as in quietly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of faintly Mention a competing system and some responses turn faintly territorial. — Puneet Gaur, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 The campaign plays more than a bit faintly here in Harris County, home to the biggest Black population of any county in the United States. — Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 Three hours after Thomas Jefferson died at his Monticello home on July 4, 1826, his personal secretary, Nicholas Trist, snipped a lock of the Founder’s gray hair, still faintly reddish blond. — Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026 The film is Bullock’s first in four years, and critics are ever-so-faintly praising her return to the big screen. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026 Related Stories While onstage before his new film bowed on the first night of the serene Colorado festival, Haigh seemed faintly astonished to be there at all. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 The scenery is almost irresistible in fall, when the air is faintly pumpkin-scented and the pace slows. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026 The soil should be moist, faintly acid smelling, from its infusion of decayed compost. — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026 Suddenly, her parents’ cheerful transparency—their coarse jokes, their eagerness to name things that should not be named—appeared to Nidhi in a faintly embarrassing light. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faintly
  1. quietly
  2. feebly
  3. softly
  4. low
  5. noiselessly
Adverb
  • Meanwhile, Alexey Tsydenov, head of the neighboring Buryatia republic, publicly confirmed her death was linked to a plague infection before quietly editing his statement hours later to use more ambiguous phrasing.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Chiefs beat the Raiders 30-27 to remain unbeaten and hand the surprising upstart Las Vegas its first loss — though the Raiders didn’t go quietly, reaching midfield on their final effort.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of quietly
Adverb
  • Chief swam feebly across, joined the other two horses on the bank, and stood there shaking.
    — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
  • Judge lined it feebly into the glove of an outfielder.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Definition of feebly
Adverb
  • Not that Bieber needs much assistance, with dewy skin and softly flushed cheeks becoming central to the Rhode universe.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Jack is softly spoken and keen to deflect talk from his own heroics in the semi-final.
    — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of softly
Adverb
  • Like Klein’s last album, the fantastic sleep with a cane, much of the album is taken up by string samples that hover in the stereo field like a low-hanging fog.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials say residents in the affected counties should expect to spot low-flying airplanes or helicopters during these times.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of low
Adverb
  • Small branches can be clipped quickly and almost noiselessly and fashioned into an effective blind in only a few minutes.
    — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
  • On a brilliant midsummer morning, my wife and I stepped into a black Zodiac raft and drifted noiselessly among icebergs five stories high, their emerald and aquamarine walls gleaming above sapphire waters.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of noiselessly

Browse Nearby Words

fainting
faintly
faintness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faintly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All