faint vs petty

faint

adj
  • Slight; minimal. 

  • Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose consciousness 

  • Performed, done, or acted, weakly; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy 

  • Barely perceptible; not bright, or loud, or sharp 

  • Lacking courage, spirit, or energy; cowardly; dejected 

verb
  • To decay; to disappear; to vanish. 

  • To lose consciousness through a lack of oxygen or nutrients to the brain, usually as a result of suddenly reduced blood flow (may be caused by emotional trauma, loss of blood or various medical conditions). 

  • To lose courage or spirit; to become depressed or despondent. 

noun
  • The act of fainting, syncope. 

  • The state of one who has fainted; a swoon. 

petty

adj
  • Having little or no importance. 

  • Of or relating to the lowest grade or level of school; junior, primary. 

  • Little or small in size. 

  • Of persons or their behaviour: marked by or reflective of undesirably limited interests, sympathies, or views; begrudging, selfish, small-minded; also, preoccupied with subjects having little or no importance and not mindful of broader concerns. 

  • Secondary in importance or rank; minor, subordinate. 

noun
  • An outbuilding used as a lavatory; an outhouse, a privy. 

  • A class or school for young schoolboys. 

How often have the words faint and petty occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )