swoon
/swu:n/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To faint or lose consciousness suddenly, typically due to a temporary drop in blood flow to the brain, often caused by shock, pain, or strong emotion.
- To be overcome with a powerful feeling of emotion, such as admiration, joy, or infatuation, to the point of feeling weak or overwhelmed.
Noun:
- An instance of fainting; a temporary loss of consciousness.
- A state of being overwhelmed by a strong, often pleasurable, emotion.
Usage
- Verb:
- Use "swoon" to describe the physical act of fainting. It is often followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the cause (e.g., swoon from, swoon with).
- Use "swoon" figuratively to describe an intense emotional reaction, often in a romantic or admiring context.
- Noun:
- Use "swoon" to refer to the event or state of fainting.
- Use "swoon" to describe a state of ecstatic delight.
Examples
- Verb:
- The heat was so intense that several people in the crowd began to swoon.
- She swooned with delight when she saw the surprise he had planned.
- Noun:
- He fell into a swoon after hearing the tragic news.
- The actor's performance sent the audience into a swoon.
Advanced Usage
- "to swoon over": To be filled with excessive admiration or infatuation for someone or something.
- Teenagers often swoon over their favorite pop stars.
- In a literary/archaic context: "Swoon" can be used to describe a gradual fading or weakening, akin to a dying sound or light.
- The last notes of the melody swooned into silence.
Variants and Related Words
- Swooning (adj., present participle): The act of fainting or being in a state of ecstasy. Can also describe something that induces such a state.
- She gave him a swooning look.
- Swooningly (adv.): In a manner characterized by or causing a swoon.
- He was swooningly handsome.
Synonyms
- Verb (to faint): Faint, pass out, black out, collapse.
- Verb (to be overcome with emotion): Gush, rave, rhapsodize.
- Noun (faint): Faint, blackout, syncope (medical term).
- Noun (ecstatic state): Rapture, ecstasy, transport.
Phrasal Verbs / Common Collocations
- Swoon over: As detailed in Advanced Usage.
- Fall into a swoon: To faint; to enter a state of unconsciousness.
- The character in the Victorian novel would often fall into a swoon at the slightest provocation.
Related Idioms
- In a dead swoon: Completely unconscious; in a deep faint.
- She lay on the floor in a dead swoon for several minutes.
Noun
- a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain
Verb
- pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain