wane

[ weyn ]

/ weɪn /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: wane / waned / wanes / waning on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), waned, wan·ing.

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).

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR wane

1, 2 diminish, fail, sink.

5 diminution; failure, decay.

See synonyms for wane on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about wane

on the wane, decreasing; diminishing: The popularity of that song is on the wane.

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”

Words nearby wane

w. & f., wandoo, Wandorobo, wandsman, Wandsworth, wane, waned, waney, Wang An Shi, Wanganui, wang bar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wane in a sentence

At their best, road races can still provide the in-person communal experience that was already on the wane before the pandemic accelerated the forces of alienation and digital cocooning.
Will Major Marathons Actually Come Back This Fall?|Martin Fritz Huber|February 4, 2021|Outside Online
The idea of putting in eight hours a day, five days a week was already on the wane for many millennial and Gen Z workers, long before the arrival of Covid-19.
‘People have had permission to experiment’: Pandemic expedites rethink on 9-to-5 work structures|Jessica Davies|November 23, 2020|Digiday
The waxing in those Wall Street staples as the results in consumer wane is what’s supporting JPMorgan in the crisis.
How JPMorgan Chase is proceeding with extreme caution—and still making plenty of money|Shawn Tully|October 14, 2020|Fortune
Some might believe bureaucracy is on the wane, that it’s headed for the same fate as landline telephones or gas-powered cars.
How to break free of bureaucracy in the workplace|Michele Zanini|August 17, 2020|Quartz

The moon was a ribbon-thin waning crescent, and I found the vast dark, with no city lights, almost terrifying to take in.
Who Needs Mars When You've Got Canyonlands?|Emily Pennington|July 19, 2020|Outside Online
Today, liberal Protestantism is on the wane, and optimistic postmillennialism along with it.
The Evangelical Apocalypse Is All Your Fault|Jay Michaelson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On defense, Republican small government orthodoxy tends to wane.
Republicans Don’t Really Care About Reducing America’s Debt|Peter Beinart|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There is also statistical evidence to suggest that FGM may be on the wane.
Egypt’s Terrible FGM Death|Alastair Beach|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Until last night, the conventional wisdom in Washington was that the Tea Party was on the wane.
Anger Over Fiscal-Cliff Deal Fires Up Tea Party|David Freedlander|January 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The South can block some things, but eventually even that power will wane.
The House Vote and the Battle Cry of Freedom|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Primo de Rivera, who believed the rebellion to be fast on the wane, shipped back to Spain 7,000 troops.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
But Mrs. Charmington was already on the wane, and as he had no wish to be her hero now he rather fought shy of her.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The moon was rising, its reddish disk somewhat diminished from being on the wane.
Urania|Camille Flammarion
The one is religious, the other a civil power; the one may wane, the other rise.
The Continental Monthly, Vol 3 No 3, March 1863|Various
The exchange of places was made, but after Fred had rowed for an hour or more his confidence also began to wane.
The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island|Ross Kay

British Dictionary definitions for wane

wane

/ (weɪn) /

verb (intr)

(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

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

on the wane in a state of decline

Derived forms of wane

waney or wany, adjective

Word Origin for wane

Old English wanian (vb); related to wan-, prefix indicating privation, wana defect, Old Norse vana

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with wane

wane

see wax and wane.

wane

OTHER WORDS FOR wane

Idioms about wane

Origin of wane

Words nearby wane

Words related to wane

How to use wane in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wane

Derived forms of wane

Word Origin for wane

Other Idioms and Phrases with wane