wane

1 of 2

verb

ˈwān 

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.

Synonyms

Verb

• abate
• de-escalate
• decline
• decrease
• die (away or down or out)
• diminish
• drain (away)
• drop (off)
• dwindle
• ease
• ebb
• fall
• fall away
• lessen
• let up
• lower
• moderate
• pall
• phase down
• ratchet (down)
• rachet (down)
• recede
• relent
• remit
• shrink
• subside
• taper
• taper off

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

El Niño, the climate pattern that helped drive California’s recent stormy conditions, is expected to wane in the weeks ahead, and there is an 85% chance that its drier counterpart, La Niña, will develop by late fall or early winter. —Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

This comes as the company faces mounting pressure from the one-two punch of waning demand and more affordable EVs made by Chinese manufacturers. —Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 15 Apr. 2024

The fighting never completely ended but had waned, until violence from the RSF and allied militias rocketed in the region — one year ago this week. —Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024

But the latest moves add more price pressure on the EV market, which had already seen Tesla unleash a wave of earlier cuts with consumer demand for EVs overall waning in favor of hybrid models. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024

The satanic panic began to wane in the early 1990s. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

But in recent weeks his patience with Mr. Netanyahu has appeared to be waning and his administration has taken a more stern line with Israel, deepening its international isolation over the war. —Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024

This growing chasm between U.S. and Israeli perceptions of the war illustrates the waning influence of the United States in the region. —Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024

The indictments in both of those cases are structured using the words of people around Trump during his waning days in office. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024

Noun

You’re left enduring a bumpy ride on a road to nowhere, in other words, and neither the film’s wane familiarity nor its welcome, pro-smut good intentions can make the journey worthwhile. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024

The time scale most relevant to us is an ~11-year-cycle during which the Sun's activity waxes and wanes. —Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing wane

• on the wane

Kids Definition

wane

1 of 2 verb

ˈwān 

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