wane

[weyn]

verb (used without object)

waned, waning 

1. to decrease in strength, intensity, etc..

   Daylight waned, and night came on.

   Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.

   Synonyms: sink, fail, diminish

2. to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc..

   Colonialism began to wane after World War II.

   Synonyms: sink, fail, diminish

3. to draw to a close; approach an end.

   Summer is waning.

4. (of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.

noun

1. a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.

   Synonyms: decay, failure, diminution

2. the drawing to a close of life, an era, a period, etc.

3. the waning of the moon.

4. a period of waning.

5. a defect in a plank or board characterized by bark or insufficient wood at a corner or along an edge, due to the curvature of the log.

wane

/ weɪn /

verb

1. (of the moon) to show a gradually decreasing portion of illuminated surface, between full moon and new moon Compare wax 2

2. to decrease gradually in size, strength, power, etc

3. to draw to a close

noun

1. a decrease, as in size, strength, power, etc

2. the period during which the moon wanes

3. the act or an instance of drawing to a close

4. a rounded surface or defective edge of a plank, where the bark was

5. in a state of decline

Other Word Forms

• waney adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wane¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb wanen, Old English wanian “to lessen”; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle High German wanen, Old Norse vana “to cause to wane, destroy”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wane¹

Old English wanian (vb); related to wan-, prefix indicating privation, wana defect, Old Norse vana

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the wane, decreasing; diminishing.

   The popularity of that song is on the wane.

see wax and wane.

Example Sentences

Lulu's chart career waned in the 1980s, but she was never far from the limelight.

From BBC

Those two connected on a 20-yard touchdown in the waning minutes, tying a home opener that had been steadily slipping away from the Chargers in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times

On this waning Friday, the group is saluting one of its number, soon to be moving to Northern California.

From Los Angeles Times

Once the capital of British India, the city's fortunes have waned since independence.

From BBC

It doesn’t have to be an open-ended, lifetime commitment to Harris’ protection, but an arrangement that could be periodically reviewed, as time passes and potential danger wanes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abate 
• atrophy 
• decrease 
• die down 
• die out 
• dim 
• dwindle 
• ebb 
• fade 
• peter out 
• shrink 
• slacken 
• subside 
• weaken 
• wither