wan

1 of 3

adjective

wanner; wannest
1
a
: suggestive of poor health : sickly, pallid
b
: lacking vitality : feeble
2
: dim, faint
3
: languid
a wan smile
wanly adverb
wanness noun

wan

2 of 3

verb

wanned; wanning

intransitive verb

: to grow or become pale or sickly

WAN

3 of 3

noun

Examples of wan in a Sentence

Adjective She gave a wan laugh. she looks a little wan after all that tiring work
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
If the land in question has been converted from agricultural fields to golf-course acreage, the net impact of those other factors might actually be lessened, but that’s a wan exculpation. David Quammen, Outside Online, 2 Mar. 2020 What seemed inventive and clever in the confines of a small off-Broadway theater feels utterly wan in its current incarnation. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Oct. 2019
Noun
This router has a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN port, a second 1-Gbps WAN/LAN, and three gigabit LANs. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 10 Oct. 2024 Its multi-gig WAN/LAN ports and mesh capabilities ensure reliable, fast connections throughout the home. Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wan 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English wann dark, livid

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wan was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wan

Cite this Entry

“Wan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wan

adjective
ˈwän
wanner; wannest
1
a
: pale entry 1 sense 1b, sickly
a wan complexion
b
: lacking vitality : feeble
2
: dim entry 1 sense 1, faint
a wan light
3
: showing little effort : languid
a wan smile
wanly adverb
wanness
ˈwän-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wan

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!