OTHER WORDS FOR wanton
OPPOSITES FOR wanton
4, 5 restrained.
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Origin of wanton
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English wantowen, literally, “undisciplined, ill-reared,” Old English wan- “not” + togen, past participle of tēon “to discipline, rear,” cognate with German ziehen, Latin dūcere “to lead”; akin to tow1
OTHER WORDS FROM wanton
wan·ton·ly, adverbwan·ton·ness, nounun·wan·ton, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wanton
wanton , won tonWords nearby wanton
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use wanton in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for wanton
wanton
/ (ˈwɒntən) /
adjective
noun
a licentious person, esp a woman
a playful or capricious person
verb
(intr) to behave in a wanton manner
(tr) to squander or waste
Derived forms of wanton
wantonly, adverbwantonness, nounWord Origin for wanton
C13 wantowen (in the obsolete sense: unmanageable, unruly): from wan- (prefix equivalent to un- 1; related to Old English wanian to wane) + -towen, from Old English togen brought up, from tēon to bring up
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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