wane

American  

[weyn] / weɪn /

verb (used without object)

waned, waning

1. to decrease in strength, intensity, etc..

   Daylight waned, and night came on.

   Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.

   Synonyms:

   sink, fail, diminish

2. to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc..

   Colonialism began to wane after World War II.

   Synonyms:

   sink, fail, diminish

3. to draw to a close; approach an end.

   Summer is waning.

4. (of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.

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noun

1. a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.

   Synonyms:

   decay, failure, diminution

2. the drawing to a close of life, an era, a period, etc.

3. the waning of the moon.

4. a period of waning.

5. 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

1. on the wane, decreasing; diminishing.

   The popularity of that song is on the wane.

wane British  

/ weɪn /

verb

1. (of the moon) to show a gradually decreasing portion of illuminated surface, between full moon and new moon Compare wax 2

2. to decrease gradually in size, strength, power, etc

3. to draw to a close

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noun

1. a decrease, as in size, strength, power, etc

2. the period during which the moon wanes

3. the act or an instance of drawing to a close

4. a rounded surface or defective edge of a plank, where the bark was

5. in a state of decline

wane More Idioms  

1. see wax and wane.

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Other Word Forms

• waney adjective

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”

Example Sentences

Even in the waning light, whatever he did, he would be seen.

From Literature

But enthusiasm began to wane with the rate increases in 2022 and the shift back to the office.

From The Wall Street Journal

Oppenheimer analysts maintained a Perform rating on the shares in a research note Friday, pointing to waning refresh potential in 2026.

From Barron's

Added to the waning novelty is the reliance on stock characters who show little of Mr. Saunders’s usual comic invention.

From The Wall Street Journal

While their influence on current market performance is waning, the Magnificent Seven and their commentary on AI demand, data center spending, and the path to converting both of those into profits will be crucial.

From Barron's

Related Words

• abate
• atrophy
• decrease
• die down
• die out
• dim
• dwindle
• ebb
• fade
• peter out
• shrink
• slacken
• subside
• weaken
• wither