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
-
The farmworkers' rights movement has always been powered by courage, by people willing to endure, to speak out, to demand dignity in the face of injustice.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026 -
And parents were generally more willing to let kids do things by themselves, not only play outside but also help out in the community.—
Stephen Johnson,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Kansas has not been a program built on turning over its roster every season but rather generating improvement from those already on it — and then trying to find ways to fill in the gaps when necessary.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
-
If the goal is truly to protect consumers, the solution does not lie in reducing the visibility of the legal market through federal prohibitions, but rather in avoiding excessive intervention.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
During the first one to two days on the mission, the crew will be in a high Earth orbit and conduct systems checks, such as testing the Orion capsule's life-support, propulsion, navigation, and communications systems to ensure the spacecraft is ready to travel into deep space.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Both Miller and Martinez shared a similar sentiment, explaining that business owners need to be ready to network and create a social media strategy.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Officers said the girl and her mother willingly got into the man's car.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the closing seconds, McEnelly willingly took a pair of stall calls to avoid any further attacks, prevailing 4-3 and snapping Welsh’s 40-match win streak.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Gene Gallerano is glad to have a movie playing close to home.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
What People Are Saying Contributors to Reddit's r/cars forum were glad to see the report, amid more than 300 comments this week.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lemay approached the project by covering the trench with a gently inclined floating plane, creating an accessible, continuous surface across the site.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
-
More early ballots have so far been cast in Republican-leaning districts where voters may be more inclined to vote against the redistricting measure, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fain. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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