Language Focus

Faint / Pass Out / Unconscious

Three ways to talk about losing consciousness — from everyday conversation to more serious or medical situations.

Definitions

Word Meaning Typically used for
faint (verb) To lose consciousness briefly, then recover quickly Heat, pain, fear, shock
pass out (phrasal verb) To lose consciousness — a casual way to say "faint" Exhaustion, heat, alcohol
unconscious (adjective) Not awake, not aware, not responsive — can be brief or long Injuries, accidents, medical emergencies
💡 Faint and pass out are very similar and often interchangeable. Unconscious is more serious — it doesn't always mean the person will wake up quickly.

Grammar Patterns

Pattern Example
subject + fainted She fainted during the ceremony.
subject + passed out He passed out from the heat.
subject + was/were unconscious The driver was unconscious when the ambulance arrived.
subject + lost consciousness (formal) The patient lost consciousness for two minutes.
subject + was found unconscious (passive) She was found unconscious on the floor.

Formality Guide

Casual / Everyday

Use pass out or faint

  1. It was so hot, I thought I was going to pass out.
Medical / Formal

Use unconscious or lost consciousness

  1. The patient lost consciousness for two minutes.
Storytelling / Dramatic

Use fainted or collapsed

  1. She turned pale and fainted.

Example Sentences

Fainted
  1. 1. She fainted when she heard the news.
  2. 2. A man fainted in the queue and had to be carried outside.
  3. 3. I nearly fainted from the heat at the outdoor market.
  4. 4. He fainted at the sight of blood.
Passed out
  1. 5. She passed out after running the marathon in 35-degree heat.
  2. 6. He drank too much and passed out on the sofa.
  3. 7. I was so exhausted that I passed out as soon as I lay down.
  4. 8. Two soldiers passed out during the parade.
Unconscious
  1. 9. The cyclist was unconscious for several minutes after the accident.
  2. 10. Paramedics arrived and found the man unconscious on the pavement.
  3. 11. She was knocked unconscious when she hit her head on the shelf.
  4. 12. The patient remained unconscious throughout the procedure.

Collocations & Common Combinations

Faint
fainted + from the heat, at the sight of, during, with shock
  • She fainted from the heat during the outdoor event.
Pass out
passed out + from exhaustion, from the heat, on the sofa/floor, cold (= completely)
  • He passed out cold on the kitchen floor.
Unconscious
unconscious + for (minutes/hours), after (an accident), on the (floor/ground)
knocked / found / left / rendered + unconscious
  • The boxer was knocked unconscious in the third round.
Describing the Feeling Before Fainting

English speakers use vivid expressions to describe the physical sensations that come before losing consciousness:

Head

felt lightheaded / dizzy

  1. I suddenly felt lightheaded and had to sit down.
Vision

everything went black / dark around the edges

  1. Everything went dark around the edges, and then I fainted.
Skin

broke out in a cold sweat / felt clammy

  1. I broke out in a cold sweat and knew something was wrong.
Body

my knees went weak / my legs gave way

  1. My knees went weak and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor.

Summary

Faint and pass out both describe a short loss of consciousness — pass out is more casual, faint works in most situations. Unconscious is more serious and clinical — it describes a state that may not end quickly. When telling someone about the experience, English has many vivid expressions for the physical feelings that come just before fainting.