waning

American  

[wey-ning] / weɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. decreasing in strength, intensity, etc..

   Many teens in focus groups expressed waning enthusiasm for social media.

2. declining in power, importance, prosperity, etc..

   The recent hacking of the retailer’s credit card system will have devastating implications for its already waning business.

3. drawing to a close; approaching an end.

   The bill will likely be passed in the waning days of this legislative session.

4. (of the moon) decreasing in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.

   The crescent of fine white sand, wrapped around the bay, looked like a waning moon.

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noun

1. the process of decreasing, declining, or coming to an end.

   The Middle Ages occurred between the waning of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance.

2. (of the moon) the process of decreasing in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.

   Onion seeds are planted in the fall, during the waning of the Harvest Moon.

Other Word Forms

• unwaning adjective

Etymology

Origin of waning

First recorded before 900; wan(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; wan(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

On Feb. 13, it printed a doji candle, often an early signal that downside momentum is waning and a possible trend change from the prevailing direction.

From Barron's

But in 2025, a new report from the Bible Society called The Quiet Revival started to challenge the idea that Christian faith was waning.

From BBC

Instead, this forecast is based on an analysis of the fed funds rate in the waning months of prior Fed chairs’ tenures.

From MarketWatch

A look at the daily chart of Boston Beer Company suggests the stock may be carving out a third consecutive lower high on its ratio chart versus the XLP, a sign of waning relative strength.

From Barron's

“That all looks to me much more like a reflation trade than a debasement trade,” Pasquariello said, referring to the prospect for a fiscal boost in Japan and the recent talk of waning dollar attractiveness.

From MarketWatch