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

Analysts say the claims were unfounded and he acted out of anxiety about the armed forces' waning influence.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s no mistake that “Tow” was released just five days after the Oscars, when the film can still capitalize on awards season’s waning buzz without negatively influencing Academy voting.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

And like all of television, reality is facing splintered and waning audiences so the decibel level of that conversation-sparking is often dialed way up.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

"It's not that interest is waning so much as it is hope is waning," forensic analyst Joseph Scott Morgan told the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

His friend who owns the motorcar set off at top speed, full out and going like the clappers, no lights as usual except the waning gibbous moon on the rise.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein