Faint, Feint
Faint is used as a verb to mean to pass out or lose consciousness temporarily. As a noun, faint means a sudden loss of consciousness. Faint, as an adjective, means dim or hardly perceptible, vague, slight, feeble, lacking enthusiasm or half-hearted.
Feint is a pretended attack used to distract an enemy. In boxing, a feint may be a blow that provokes a defensive action to one part of the opponent’s body while the boxer delivers a more destructive punch to another part of the opponent’s body. A feint may be a fencing thrust that draws an opponent to protect one part of his body while the fencer delivers a fatal stroke to another part of the opponent’s body. In war, a feint is a troop maneuver that distracts the enemy from the real attack. Feint may also be used as a verb, meaning to make a feint.
(Description from the Grammarist) |