wane

1 of 2

verb

waned; waning

intransitive verb

1
: to decrease in size, extent, or degree : dwindle: such as
a
: to diminish in phase or intensity
used chiefly of the moon, other satellites, and inferior planets
b
: to become less brilliant or powerful : dim
c
: to flow out : ebb
2
: to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence

wane

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act or process of waning
strength on the wane
b
: a period or time of waning
specifically : the period from the full moon to the new moon
2
[Middle English, defect, from Old English wana; akin to Old English wan deficient] : a defect in lumber characterized by bark or a lack of wood at a corner or edge

Did you know?

"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour / Draws on apace four happy days bring in / Another moon: But oh, methinks how slow / This old moon wanes!" So Theseus describes his eagerness for his wedding night in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. As illustrated by Theseus' words, wane is a word often called upon to describe the seeming decrease in size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of wane is wax, a once common but now infrequently used synonym of grow. Wane and wax have been partnered in reference to the moon since the Middle Ages.

Choose the Right Synonym for wane

abate, subside, wane, ebb mean to die down in force or intensity.

abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing.

the storm abated

subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation.

the protests subsided after a few days

wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive.

waning enthusiasm

ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

the ebbing of daylight

Examples of wane in a Sentence

Verb The moon waxes and then wanes. The scandal caused her popularity to wane. Interest in this issue has continued to wane. the waning days of summer
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The former Barcelona teammates linked up inside the opening eight minutes to give Miami the lead, still displaying a remarkable understanding for each other’s games that has evidently not waned over the years. Matias Grez, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 The electrician already knew that the power plant had thrice failed to complete its sulfur emissions tests in 2023, and its electric output had been waning. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 Gusty conditions continue, but winds should tend to wane with time. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 State lawmakers gave city councilors the ability to pass such a tax in the waning hours of the 2023 legislative session. The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Set in 1908, Outlaw Posse stars Van Peebles—who also wrote, produced and directed the movie—as Chief, a formerly enslaved ex-soldier seeking to recover a cache of gold hidden by Confederates in the waning days of the Civil War. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Over the three-week trial, prosecutors told jurors that Jay had turned to the drug trade as Run-DMC’s popularity had waned. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2024 Conclusion The pace of digital transformation shows no signs of waning, and companies must perpetually evaluate their data management tactics. Ryan Mallory, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Chatbots may be useful for resolving basic inquiries, but their effectiveness wanes as problems become more complex. John F. Wasik, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
But the lack of funding and a wane in flexibility threaten to turn the tide once more. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2023 Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Clouds from the day wane. Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2023 Unlike everyday stress, trauma doesn’t wax and wane. Juli Fraga, New York Times, 5 July 2023 When women hit menopause and estrogen—which helps regulate lipid levels—wanes, their levels of LDL and triglycerides increase. Katherine Hobson, Time, 19 June 2023 In short, content piracy is hardly on the wane, even as many film and TV titles have become more accessible and inexpensive than ever. Tyler Aquilina, Variety, 13 Feb. 2023 Another move at odds with current trends is the decision to merge with a SPAC as a route to market — a type of deal that is on the wane. Ercan Ersoy, Bloomberg.com, 13 Dec. 2022 Even hygiene theater is (mostly) on the wane. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2022 Bleeding and mercury have had their day; cod liver oil and chloral hydrate are already on the wane; alcohol and bullock's blood are now in vogue among the Parisians—the former for fevers and all inflammatory affections, and the latter for anaemia and pulmonary phthisis. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wanien, wanen, going back to Old English wanian, going back to Germanic *wanōjan- (whence Old High German wanōn "to lessen," Old Norse vana), weak verb derivative from *wano- "deficient, absent," whence Old English & Old High German wan "lacking, deficient," Old Norse vanr, Gothic wans; akin to Latin vānus "empty, vain," Greek eûnis "bereft (of), without," Sanskrit ūna- "deficient, defective"

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wane was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near wane

Cite this Entry

“Wane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wane. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wane

1 of 2 verb
waned; waning
1
: to grow gradually smaller or less
the moon wanes
2
: to lose power, prosperity, or influence
the nation waned as its commerce declined
3
: to draw toward an end
summer is waning

wane

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or process of waning
2
: a period or time of waning
especially : the period from the full phase of the moon to the new moon

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