wane
Americanverb (used without object)
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to decrease in strength, intensity, etc..
Daylight waned, and night came on.
Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.
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to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc..
Colonialism began to wane after World War II.
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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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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.
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the waning of the moon.
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a period of waning.
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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
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(of the moon) to show a gradually decreasing portion of illuminated surface, between full moon and new moon Compare wax 2
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to decrease gradually in size, strength, power, etc
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to draw to a close
noun
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a decrease, as in size, strength, power, etc
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the period during which the moon wanes
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the act or an instance of drawing to a close
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a rounded surface or defective edge of a plank, where the bark was
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in a state of decline
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wanesimple
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wanessimple
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have wanedperfect
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has wanedperfect
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am waningprogressive
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are waningprogressive
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is waningprogressive
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have been waningperfect progressive
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has been waningperfect progressive
Past
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wanedsimple
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had wanedperfect
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was waningprogressive
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were waningprogressive
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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.
That move isn’t assured to succeed, but Qualcomm has reasonable chances if the AI boom doesn’t wane and computing demand remains red-hot.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
However, tensions appeared to be on the wane a few weeks ago as the company met senior White House officials in what was described as a "productive" meeting.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The Mac Mini is a niche device, he added: “Apple also doesn’t want demand to wane suddenly and have a year or more of inventory sitting around.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
But with war risks seemingly on the wane, and corporate America growing profits at a double-digit pace, investors are seeing few reasons to miss out on the market’s springtime momentum.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
As he walks, his excitement begins to wane.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
