faint vs plain

faint

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

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

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

  • Slight; minimal. 

  • 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. 

plain

adj
  • Not unusually beautiful; unattractive. 

  • Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier). 

  • Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair. 

  • Not a trump. 

  • Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text). 

  • Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable. 

  • Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt. 

  • Simple in habits or qualities; unsophisticated, not exceptional, ordinary. 

  • Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished. 

  • Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras. 

  • Of just one colour; lacking a pattern. 

adv
  • Simply. 

noun
  • A lamentation. 

  • An expanse of land with relatively low relief, usually exclusive of forests, deserts, and wastelands. 

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