wane
- to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.: Daylight waned, and night came on. Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.
- to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc.: Colonialism began to wane after World War II.
- to draw to a close; approach an end: Summer is waning.
- (of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.Compare wax2(def 2).
- a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.
- the drawing to a close of life, an era, a period, etc.
- the waning of the moon.
- a period of waning.
- 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.
- on the wane, decreasing; diminishing: The popularity of that song is on the wane.
Origin of wane
Synonyms for wane
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for wane
dim, abate, ebb, dwindle, subside, atrophy, wither, decrease, fade, slacken, shrink, weaken, decline, drop, relent, sink, fall, fail, moderateExamples from the Web for wane
Contemporary Examples of wane
Today, liberal Protestantism is on the wane, and optimistic postmillennialism along with it.
On defense, Republican small government orthodoxy tends to wane.
There is also statistical evidence to suggest that FGM may be on the wane.
Until last night, the conventional wisdom in Washington was that the Tea Party was on the wane.
The South can block some things, but eventually even that power will wane.
Historical Examples of wane
Thirdly, we were to emphasise to the men that Turkish morale was on the wane.
With Manchesters in the EastGerald B. Hurst
Religion, true spiritual religion was on the wane in England.
Kent Knowles: QuahaugJoseph C. Lincoln
It had made him apprehensive, and he wondered if his influence over her was on the wane.
The Woman-HatersJoseph C. Lincoln
Perhaps not, said the voice, but if her love should wane how would you rekindle it?
The Fifth StringJohn Philip Sousa
And that both commercial nuns and Gorgeous Girls must be on the wane.
The Gorgeous GirlNalbro Bartley
wane
- (of the moon) to show a gradually decreasing portion of illuminated surface, between full moon and new moonCompare wax 2 (def. 2)
- to decrease gradually in size, strength, power, etc
- to draw to a close
- a decrease, as in size, strength, power, etc
- the period during which the moon wanes
- the act or an instance of drawing to a close
- a rounded surface or defective edge of a plank, where the bark was
- on the wane in a state of decline
Word Origin for wane
Word Origin and History for wane
Old English wanian "make or become smaller gradually," from Proto-Germanic *wanojanan (cf. Old Saxon wanon, Old Norse vana, Old Frisian wania, Middle Dutch waenen, Old High German wanon "to wane, to grow less"), from *wano- "lacking," from PIE *we-no-, from root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out" (see vain). Related: Waned; waning; wanes.
Idioms and Phrases with wane
wane
see wax and wane.