wanton
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) wan- + (a descendant of) (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English (deprecated template usage) togen, past participle of (deprecated template usage) tēon.
Pronunciation
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Adjective
wanton (comparative more wanton, superlative most wanton)
- Template:obsolete Undisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.
- 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, IV.1:
- As Flies to wanton Boyes are we to th' Gods, / They kill vs for their sport.
- 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, IV.1:
- Lewd, immoral; sexually open, unchaste.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones:
- if wenches will hang out lures for fellows, it is no matter what they suffer: I detest such creatures; and it would be much better for them that their faces had been seamed with the smallpox: but I must confess I never saw any of this wanton behaviour in poor Jenny [...].
- 1874, Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd:
- I know I ought never to have dreamt of sending that valentine—forgive me, sir—it was a wanton thing which no woman with any self-respect should have done.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones:
- Playful, sportive; being merry or carefree (often used figuratively).
- 1776, Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1:
- The grave simplicity of the philosopher was ill calculated to engage her wanton levity, of to fix that unbounded passion for variety, which often discovered personal merit in the meanest of mankind.
- 1776, Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1:
- Template:obsolete Self-indulgent, fond of excess; luxurious.
- 1776, Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I:
- the market price will rise more or less above the natural price, according as either the greatness of the deficiency, or the wealth and wanton luxury of the competitors, happen to animate more or less the eagerness of the competition.
- 1776, Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I:
- Capricious, reckless of morality, justice etc.; acting without regard for the law or the well-being of others; gratuitous.
- 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility:
- Edward himself, now thoroughly enlightened on her character, had no scruple in believing her capable of the utmost meanness of wanton ill-nature.
- 2009, Ben White, The Guardian, 10 Aug 2009:
- these developments in Gaza are a consequence of the state of siege that the tiny territory has been under – a society that has been fenced-in, starved, and seen its very fabric torn apart by unemployment and wanton military destruction.
- 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility:
- Template:obsolete Extravagant, unrestrained; excessive (of speech or thought).
- 1876, John Ruskin, Letters, 19 Jan 1876:
- But do not think it argues change of temper since I wrote the Frère review, or a wanton praise of one man and blame of another.
- 1876, John Ruskin, Letters, 19 Jan 1876:
Synonyms
- (lewd): lewd, lustful, unchaste
- (capriciously violent): inhumane, insolent, malicious merciless
- (abundant and luxuriant): abundant, extravagant, lavish, luxuriant, unrestrained
- (playful, overly happy): frolicsome, playful
- (undisciplined): undisciplined, unruly
Translations
undisciplined (obsolete)
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lewd, immoral; sexually open/free
self-indulgent, luxurious (obsolete)
capricious, reckless of morals or justice
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playful
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extravagent (of speech or thought) (obsolete)
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Noun
wanton (plural wantons)
- A pampered or coddled person.
- An overly playful person.
- A self-indulgent person, fond of excess.
- Template:archaic A lewd or immoral person, especially a prostitute.
Translations
pampered or coddled person
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overly playful person
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self-indulgent person, fond of excess
lewd or immoral person, especially a prostitute
Verb
wanton (third-person singular simple present wantons, present participle wantoning, simple past and past participle wantoned)
- Template:intransitive To act wantonly; become wanton.
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- Template:transitive To waste or squander, especially in pleasure (often with away).
- The young man wantoned away his inheritance.
Translations
To act wantonly; become wanton
To waste or squander, especially in pleasure (often with away)
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