faintly

Everyday

1. Weakly, quietly or not clearly, so it is hard to see, hear or smell. tree →
2. Slightly; a little: «faintly surprised». tree →

In the lessons

In stories: «She smiled faintly», «music played faintly in the distance», «it smelled faintly of smoke». It tells the reader something is weak or small. Opposite: strongly, loudly, clearly.

Examples

• The stars shone faintly through the clouds. tree →
• I could faintly hear the bell. tree →
• The room smelled faintly of paint. tree →
• She smiled faintly and closed her eyes. tree →
• He looked faintly annoyed. tree →
• The writing was faintly visible on the old paper. tree →
• The light glowed faintly at the end of the tunnel. tree →
• “Hullo, Peter,” she replied faintly, squeezing herself as small as possible. tree →

Note

From faint (weak; or to pass out). Don't confuse with «feint» (a fake move) or with fainting. «Faintly» about an amount = a little, not a lot.