Fain

Pronunciation: /feɪn/

Examples of fain in a Sentence

formal She was fain to accept the job offer despite the low salary.

informal I was fain to admit that I had made a mistake.

slang He was fain to go along with the plan even though he had doubts.

figurative The artist was fain to express his emotions through his paintings.

Grammatical Forms of fain

• past tense: fained
• plural: fains
• comparative: fainer
• superlative: fainest
• present tense: fain
• future tense: will fain
• perfect tense: have fained
• continuous tense: is faining
• singular: fain
• positive degree: fain
• infinitive: to fain
• gerund: faining
• participle: fained

Origin and Evolution of fain

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'fain' originated from Old English 'fægen' meaning 'glad, willing'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'fain' evolved to also include 'eager' or 'compelled', reflecting a shift in usage from simply being glad or willing to do something.