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View synonyms for fainéant

fainéant

[ fey-nee-uhnt; French fe-ney-ahn ]

adjective

  1. Also fai·ne·ant [] idle; indolent.


noun

, plural fai·né·ants [fey, -nee-, uh, nts, fe-ney-, ahn].
  1. an idler.

fainéant

/ ˈfeɪnɪənt; fɛneɑ̃ /

noun

  1. a lazy person; idler


adjective

  1. indolent

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Derived Forms

  • ˈfaineance, noun

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Other Words From

  • fai·ne·ance [fey, -nee-, uh, ns], noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant1

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, earlier fait-nient, literally, “he does nothing,” folk etymology of Old French faignant “idler,” noun use of present participle of se faindre “to shirk ”; feign, faint

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fainéant1

C17: from French, modification of earlier fait-nient (he) does nothing, by folk etymology from Old French faignant shirker, from faindre to be lazy

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Example Sentences

Ball, the sixth boy in Number 7, was the only fainéant among them, though he did occasionally help to keep off the smaller fry.

Solmes, the fainéant of Steinkirk, was left dead on the field.

These fainéant princes learn no tongue but their own, greatly to the advantage of their Dutch masters.

Even after Tullia was dead the Republic had come again for him, and something might be done to stir up these fainéant nobles!

Bull, the sixth boy in No. 7, was the only fainéant among them, though he did occasionally help to keep off the smaller fry.

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