Faint Praise

B2 8+

Pronunciation: /feɪnt preɪz/

Definitions of faint praise

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

Example Sentences

A1 She gave him faint praise for his cooking skills.

A2 The teacher's faint praise of his essay left him feeling disappointed.

B1 The manager's faint praise of the new employee's performance was demotivating.

B2 Despite receiving faint praise from the critics, the artist's work was well-received by the public.

C1 The politician's faint praise of his opponent's policies was seen as a strategic move.

C2 The author's faint praise of the book seemed to hint at underlying criticism.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

Example Sentences

A1 She gave him faint praise for his cooking skills.

A2 The teacher's faint praise for the student's efforts left him feeling discouraged.

B1 The manager offered faint praise for the team's performance, indicating there was room for improvement.

B2 Despite the faint praise from critics, the movie still managed to attract a large audience.

C1 The artist received faint praise from art critics, who found his latest work lacking in originality.

C2 Her faint praise for the novel disguised her true feelings of disappointment in the author's latest work.

Examples of faint praise in a Sentence

formal The critic's review was filled with faint praise for the new play.

informal She gave a little bit of faint praise for his cooking skills.

slang He threw some shade with that faint praise.

figurative Her faint praise was like a slap in the face.

Grammatical Forms of faint praise

past tense

faint praised

plural

faint praises

comparative

fainter praise

superlative

faintest praise

present tense

faint praises

future tense

will faint praise

perfect tense

have faint praised

continuous tense

is faint praising

singular

faint praise

positive degree

faint praise

infinitive

to faint praise

gerund

fainting praise

participle

faint praised

Origin and Evolution of faint praise

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'faint praise' originated from the English language.
Evolution of the word: Originally, 'faint praise' referred to compliments that were not very enthusiastic or sincere. Over time, the term has come to signify praise that is lukewarm or unenthusiastic, often implying a lack of genuine admiration or approval.