wane
Americanverb (used without object)
-
wanes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waned,
past participle, past
-
waning
present participle
-
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.
noun
-
wanes
plural
-
a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.
- Synonyms:
- decay, failure, diminution
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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.
idioms
verb
-
(of the moon) to show a gradually decreasing portion of illuminated surface, between full moon and new moon Compare wax 2
-
to decrease gradually in size, strength, power, etc
-
to draw to a close
noun
-
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
-
in a state of decline
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wanesimple
-
wanessimple
-
have wanedperfect
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has wanedperfect
-
am waningprogressive
-
are waningprogressive
-
is waningprogressive
-
have been waningperfect progressive
-
has been waningperfect progressive
Past
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wanedsimple
-
had wanedperfect
-
was waningprogressive
-
were waningprogressive
-
had been waningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wane
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”
Explanation
Things that wane simply grow smaller. "My initial enthusiasm for helping waned when I saw the massive pile of envelopes that needed sealing." Things that wax and wane, like the moon, grow larger and smaller. Wax is the opposite of wane. A fad, or a fashion, or even a disease, that is on its way out the door is "on the wane." If your influence over your little brother wanes, he’ll probably stop copying you. Anything that wanes, like the moon, influence, or a feeling, has started to go away.
Vocabulary lists containing wane
List 5
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Over The Moon: Planetary Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Enthusiasm for the strong earnings numbers already appears to be starting to wane.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
He’s hopeful that the establishment’s popularity will eventually wane with the ritzy crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Nolan, the Conagra demand scientist, has seen gluten-free, vegan, keto, low-carb and fat-free diets all wane and wax in popularity over the years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The US is one of the few western countries that still has the death penalty, which has been largely phased out in Europe and is beginning to wane in Africa.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Toward the end of October, Washington heard from Postmaster General Pickering that the fever seemed to be on the wane.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
If the passion wanes, apathy can set in.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Global venture capital investment hit a record in the first quarter of this year, according to Crunchbase data, pulling in a new generation of founders eager to raise capital before interest wanes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Although their popularity waxes and wanes like everything else, stories inspired by biblical texts have had a consistent presence on TV and film since the industry’s dawning.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
But as tech’s contribution to earnings growth wanes, so too may its dominance.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
‘Gondor wanes, you say. But Gondor stands, and even the end of its strength is still very strong.’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
"People may revert to their prior behavioural patterns because the incentive payments are insufficient when the enthusiasm has waned," said Ferraro, an expert in human behaviour and public policy.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
As a result of this, the crowd waned throughout their performance, with the duo reduced to desperate pleas: “What happened to the hand claps?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Nonetheless, enthusiasm for it has waned in recent months, according to Russian polling agencies, causing new political strains inside the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Enthusiasm for growing the library has waxed and waned over the years.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Those who had always won, accustomed to being in power since time immemorial even though their strength had greatly waned in recent years, spent the weeks before the elections preparing for their triumph.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Financial groups that make a chunk of earnings from buoyant capital markets may face waning tailwinds “as oversight and investigations rise, weighing on deal/issuance momentum.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
But now, according to Guardian analysis, the corporate presence has been waning.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
But it warned that that growth opportunities were waning in the tough environment for luxury.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Those with a business masters still have a leg up on their peers without one, but their job prospects and salaries are waning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Cal slipped out the kitchen door and moved through Lee’s waning kitchen garden.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
