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
-
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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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:
So far, there are few signs that the factors driving growth will wane in the near future, said Torsten Slok, chief economist of Apollo Global Management.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
The pastime suffered during World War Two and although the sport resumed, by the 1950s stocks of tuna were on the wane as commercial fishing technology developed.
From BBC ● 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
That all suggests Alphabet is positioned to gain cloud market share as long as AI-driven demand doesn’t wane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The growing paranoia and anxiety as they wane.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The enthusiasm for investing in an asset riskier than government debt wanes as yields rise, and stock prices tend to drop unless earnings expectations are growing enough to make up for it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Demand wanes in the following decade, with new units needed declining to 802,000 a year or 8.02 million.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
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
Dain’s being named as the High King will kick off a month of revelry, while the moon wanes and then swells anew.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Polls show its popularity has waned in the years since.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
It waxed and waned as the attacks grew more distant.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
Some business leaders note that Oklahoma City’s reliance on the oil-and-gas industry as a growth engine has waned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
"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 the winter of 1959 waned and the snow and ice melted, many miners who had been cut off the year before were called back to the mine.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Becerra has spent the waning days of the campaign stumping for Democrats in competitive House races in the Central Valley and Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Further warnings could be issued in the coming days as the waning strength of the late autumn sun means mist, fog and patches of low cloud are slow to clear.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Analysts say structural changes in demand—such as a retreat by once-steady buyers like pension funds and foreign governments—are partly to blame for waning demand for longer-term debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The developments come as top oil officials warn that global stockpiles are running low, meaning governments' ability to withstand the impact of the crisis is waning.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
