Showing results for "waning"

• present participle of wane.

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.

---

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

Explanation

If the moon was full, and now it's getting slimmer each night, it's a waning moon: it's getting gradually smaller. Waning can be used for anything that diminishes, like the brightness of the sunlight in the late afternoon, your interest in cartoons, or your influence over your teenage daughter's fashion choices. It comes from the Old English verb wǫnian, which means "to lessen."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waning

But it warned that that growth opportunities were waning in the tough environment for luxury.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Mostly, those are the “momentum” stocks like chip makers that have gyrated with waxing and waning AI optimism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Platner’s support had appeared to be waning a bit in recent weeks amid a mounting list of questions about past behavior and conduct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Reading scores among high school seniors are at their lowest in decades, according to federal testing data, while schools across the country are grappling with how to respond to waning attention spans and artificial intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The night was old, and westward the waning moon was setting, gleaming fitfully through the breaking clouds.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien