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.
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(of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.
noun
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wanes
plural
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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
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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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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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:
Next week “may prove the last best chance for national cooling demand this summer before underlying normals begin to wane seasonally into late August,” Eli Rubin of EBW Analytics says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The complexity of this outbreak also raises questions about whether it could last longer than past outbreaks, which historically wane in August.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
The latest Met Office long range forecast hints at similar conditions, suggesting that "the influence of high pressure may wane somewhat" during the final part of July.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
“We are reasonably optimistic on the consumer outlook, though momentum may wane in the back half of the year if gas prices spike again, without a buffer from tax refunds,” Reid wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
As he walks, his excitement begins to wane.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
As interest in Tesla’s electric passenger vehicles wanes, the company is betting on the truck to give it a needed boost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
As the summer wanes, Jean’s fixation on David grows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 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
But as tech’s contribution to earnings growth wanes, so too may its dominance.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
“The moon wanes to her dark,” Vetch murmured, awake in the dawn, when for a while the cold wind dropped.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Federal downsizing has waned since Elon Musk left his post last year as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
But Oddie's childhood interest in ornithology had never waned and, by the mid 1970s, he was developing a career as a naturalist.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Over the years, the relationship between Richards and Jagger has waxed and waned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But China's influence has waned since Rabuka entered office in 2022, favouring Fiji's traditional partnerships with Australia and New Zealand.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
At the end of the day, as I was headed home in a packed black bus, the jubilation I had felt throughout the day waned.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Maybe this works, with the injection calming the knee long enough to get Ohtani through the season, or with the irritation waning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 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
Talk of America’s waning financial and economic hegemony has been greatly exaggerated.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 28, 2026
Public home builders, meanwhile, can adapt well to waning demographic demand, Evercore’s Kim notes in an email to Barron’s.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
The intent look in his eyes, even in the waning light, warned her of what was coming.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
