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View synonyms for

wane

[ weyn ]

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: , ,

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

    Colonialism began to wane after World War II.

    Synonyms: , ,

  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. Compare wax 2( def 2 ).


noun

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

    Synonyms: , ,

  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.

wane

/ ɱɪ /

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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. on the wane
    in a state of decline
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈɲԱ, adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wane1

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”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wane1

Old English wanian (vb); related to wan-, prefix indicating privation, wana defect, Old Norse vana
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. on the wane, decreasing; diminishing:

    The popularity of that song is on the wane.

More idioms and phrases containing wane

see wax and wane .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Even if YA is on the wane, its influence is everywhere: It’s rewritten how we think about stories.

From

Although Tesla is still by far the best-selling EV maker, its popularity is beginning to wane due to its association with controversial Chief Executive Elon Musk.

From

In its first months, the Trump administration has shown waning support for the reporting program.

From

The club's hopes of retaining Alexander-Arnold have waned in recent weeks, with the right-back in talks with Real Madrid over a free transfer in the summer.

From

Several Black small businesses in Greater Los Angeles have recently shuttered, with owners saying support initially garnered during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement has since waned.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Wandsworthwaned