wanton - Definitions from Dictionary.com

12 results for: wanton

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

wan·ton

Audio Help [won-tn] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	done, shown, used, etc., maliciously or unjustifiably: a wanton attack; wanton cruelty.

2.	deliberate and without motive or provocation; uncalled-for; headstrong; willful: Why jeopardize your career in such a wanton way?

3.	without regard for what is right, just, humane, etc.; careless; reckless: a wanton attacker of religious convictions.

4.	sexually lawless or unrestrained; loose; lascivious; lewd: wanton behavior.

5.	extravagantly or excessively luxurious, as a person, manner of living, or style.

6.	luxuriant, as vegetation.

Archaic.

a.	sportive or frolicsome, as children or young animals.

b.	having free play: wanton breezes; a wanton brook.

–noun

8.	a wanton or lascivious person, esp. a woman.

–verb (used without object)

9.	to behave in a wanton manner; become wanton.

–verb (used with object)

10.	to squander, esp. in pleasure (often fol. by away): to wanton away one's inheritance.

[Origin: 1250–1300; ME wantowen lit., undisciplined, ill-reared, OE wan- not + togen ptp. of téon to discipline, rear, c. G ziehen, L dūcere to lead; akin to tow¹

]

—Related forms

wan·ton·ly, adverb

wan·ton·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. malicious. 2. calculated. 3. heedless, inconsiderate. 4. licentious, dissolute, immoral, libidinous, concupiscent, lustful. 5. lavish. 10. waste.

—Antonyms 3. careful, considerate. 4, 5. restrained.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

wan·ton Audio Help (wŏn'tən) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Immoral or unchaste; lewd.
1. Gratuitously cruel; merciless.
2. Marked by unprovoked, gratuitous maliciousness; capricious and unjust: wanton destruction.
Unrestrainedly excessive: wanton extravagance; wanton depletion of oil reserves.
Luxuriant; overabundant: wanton tresses.
Frolicsome; playful.
Undisciplined; spoiled.
Obsolete Rebellious; refractory.

v.   wan·toned, wan·ton·ing, wan·tons

v.   intr.
To act, grow, or move in a wanton manner; be wanton.

v.   tr.
To waste or squander extravagantly.

n.

One who is immoral, lewd, or licentious.
One that is playful or frolicsome.
One that is undisciplined or spoiled.

[Middle English wantowen : wan-, not, lacking (from Old English; see euə- in Indo-European roots) + towen, past participle of teen, to bring up (from Old English tēon, to lead, draw; see deuk- in Indo-European roots).]

wan'ton·ly adv., wan'ton·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wanton (adj.)

c.1300, wan-towen, from M.E. privative prefix wan- "wanting, lacking" (from O.E. wan "wanting;" see wane) + togen, pp. of teon "to train, discipline;" lit. "to pull, draw," from P.Gmc. *teuhan (cf. O.H.G. ziohan "to pull;" see tug). The basic notion perhaps is "ill-bred, poorly brought up;" cf. Ger. ungezogen "ill-bred, rude, haughty," lit. "unpulled."

"As Flies to wanton Boyes are we to th' Gods, They kill vs for their sport." [Shakespeare, "Lear," 1605]

Noun sense of "lascivious, lewd person" is attested from 1529. The verb is recorded from 1582. The only Eng. survival of a once-common Gmc. negating prefix still active in Du. (cf. wanbestuur "misgovernment," wanluid "discordant sound"), Ger. (wahn-), etc.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

wanton
adjective
1.	occurring without motivation or provocation; "motiveless malignity"; "unprovoked and dastardly attack"- F.D.Roosevelt [syn: motiveless]
2.	casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior" [syn: easy]
noun
1.	lewd or lascivious woman
verb
1.	waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently [syn: piddle]
2.	indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life
3.	spend wastefully; "wanton one's money away"
4.	become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously [syn: luxuriate]
5.	engage in amorous play
6.	behave extremely cruelly and brutally

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wanton1 [ˈwontən] adjective

without reason; motiveless
Example: wanton cruelty; the wanton destruction of property

Arabic:	طائِش، مُتَهَوِّر،جائِر، لا مُبَرِّر لَه
Chinese (Simplified):	无理的
Chinese (Traditional):	無理的
Czech:	svévolný
Danish:	formålsløs
Dutch:	moedwillig
Estonian:	põhjendamatu
Finnish:	järjetön
French:	gratuit
German:	mutwillig
Greek:	αναίτιος, κακόβουλος
Hungarian:	értelmetlen
Icelandic:	ástæðulaus
Indonesian:	tanpa alasan
Italian:	gratuito, arbitrario

Japanese:	勝手気ままな
Korean:	까닭없는
Latvian:	neprātīgs; bezjēdzīgs; bezatbildīgs
Lithuanian:	beprasmiškas, nesuprantamas
Norwegian:	formålsløs, umotivert
Polish:	bezsensowny
Portuguese (Brazil):	injustificado, gratuito
Portuguese (Portugal):	injustificado
Romanian:	nejustificat; fără motiv
Russian:	бессмысленный
Slovak:	svojvoľný, bezdôvodný
Slovenian:	objesten
Spanish:	sin motivo, injustificado; gratuito
Swedish:	meningslös, omotiverad
Turkish:	nedensiz

wanton2 [ˈwontən] adjective

(of a person) immoral
Example: wanton young women

Arabic:	لَعوب، داعِر، لا أخْلاقي
Chinese (Simplified):	淫荡的
Chinese (Traditional):	淫蕩的
Czech:	nepočestný
Danish:	hensynsløs
Dutch:	lichtzinnig
Estonian:	kergemeelne
Finnish:	kevytkenkäinen
French:	dévergondé
German:	liederlich
Greek:	ανήθικος
Hungarian:	ledér
Icelandic:	lostafullur, léttúðugur
Indonesian:	tak bermoral
Italian:	scostumato

Japanese:	みだらな
Korean:	음란한
Latvian:	izlaidīgs; netikls
Lithuanian:	pasileidęs, ištvirkęs
Norwegian:	uanstendig, lettsindig
Polish:	rozwiązły, swawolny
Portuguese (Brazil):	devasso
Portuguese (Portugal):	devasso
Romanian:	imoral
Russian:	распутный
Slovak:	nerestný, nemravný
Slovenian:	razuzdan
Spanish:	libertino, desvergonzado
Swedish:	lättsinnig
Turkish:	ahlâksız

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: wan·ton
Pronunciation: 'wänt-^&n, 'wont-
Function: adjective
: manifesting extreme indifference to a risk of injury toanother that is known or should have been known : characterized by knowledge of and utter disregard for probability of resulting harm <a wanton act> <by such wanton orwillful misconduct> —see also RECKLESS
NOTE: Wanton reckless, and willful are often used torefer to an aggravated level of negligence that borders on intent and that is often ground for an award of punitive damages. —wan·ton·ly adverb —wan·ton·ness noun

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wanton

Wane\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waned; p. pr. & vb. n. Waning.] [OE. wanien, AS. wanian, wonian, from wan, won, deficient, wanting; akin to D. wan-, G. wahnsinn, insanity, OHG. wan, wana-, lacking, wan?n to lessen, Icel. vanr lacking, Goth. vans; cf. Gr. ? bereaved, Skr. ?na wanting, inferior. ????. Cf. Want lack, and Wanton.]

1. To be diminished; to decrease; -- contrasted with wax, and especially applied to the illuminated part of the moon.

Like the moon, aye wax ye and wane. Waning moons their settled periods keep. --Addison.

2. To decline; to fail; to sink.

You saw but sorrow in its waning form. --Dryden.

Land and trade ever will wax and wane together. --Sir J. Child.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wanton

Wan"ton\, a. [OE. wantoun, contr. from wantowen; pref. wan- wanting (see Wane, v. i.), hence expressing negation + towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of te['o]n to draw, to educate, bring up; hence, properly, ill bred. See Tug, v. t.]

1. Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. "In woods and wanton wilderness." --Spenser. "A wild and wanton herd." --Shak.

A wanton and a merry [friar]. --Chaucer.

[She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved. --Milton.

How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise! --Addison.

2. Wandering from moral rectitude; perverse; dissolute. "Men grown wanton by prosperity." --Roscommon.

3. Specifically: Deviating from the rules of chastity; lewd; lustful; lascivious; libidinous; lecherous.

Not with wanton looking of folly. --Chaucer.

[Thou art] froward by nature, enemy to peace, Lascivious, wanton. --Shak.

4. Reckless; heedless; as, wanton mischief.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wanton

Wan"ton\, n. 1. A roving, frolicsome thing; a trifler; -- used rarely as a term of endearment.

I am afeard you make a wanton of me. --Shak.

Peace, my wantons; he will do More than you can aim unto. --B. Jonson.

2. One brought up without restraint; a pampered pet.

Anything, sir, That's dry and wholesome; I am no bred wanton. --Beau. & Fl.

3. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wanton

Wan"ton\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wantoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Wantoning.]

1. To rove and ramble without restraint, rule, or limit; to revel; to play loosely; to frolic.

Nature here wantoned as in her prime. --Milton.

How merrily we would sally into the fields, and strip under the first warmth of the sun, and wanton like young dace in the streams! --Lamb.

2. To sport in lewdness; to play the wanton; to play lasciviously.

On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

wanton

wanton: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary

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