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Meaning & use

waning

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈweɪnɪŋ/
US/ˈweɪnɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Slowly becoming smaller, weaker, or less strong over time.

    Grammar: Before a noun: waning interest.

    Patterns

    • waning interest/influence

    The team lost fans because of waning interest.

    His waning strength worried the family.

    The waning daylight forced us to stop.

  2. adjectivebefore a nountechnical

    Describing the moon when the visible lit part shrinks each night after full moon.

    Grammar: Used with moon or crescent.

    Patterns

    • a waning moon

    A waning moon rose late.

    The waning crescent is hard to see.

    Farmers once planted by the waning moon.

Common combinations

waning moon
The waning moon lit the road.
waning influence
The party's waning influence is clear.
waning interest
There is waning interest in the show.
waning popularity
The band suffered waning popularity.
waning light
We walked home in the waning light.

Synonyms and how they differ

declining
Declining is neutral and general, while waning has a gradual, fading feel.
dwindling
Dwindling stresses getting smaller in number or amount.
fading
Fading suggests losing brightness, colour or memory.
ebbing
Ebbing is more poetic and links to the tide.

Opposites

waxinggrowing

Word family

wane verb
to become smaller or weaker
waned verb
past tense of wane
wane noun
a decrease, as in on the wane
waxing adjective
growing, as of the moon

Commonly confused: waning or waving?

waning vs waving

Waving means moving the hand, which is unrelated to waning.

Practice

As the moon went from full toward new moon, it was called a ____ moon.

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