wane
gb/wˈeɪn/ us/wˈeɪn/
B2
English
csökken, alábbhagy, fogy, fogyóban van, hanyatlás
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] wanes
As the meeting went on, everyone’s attention began to wane.
Ahogy a megbeszélés haladt előre, mindenki figyelme kezdett alábbhagyni.
Public support for the plan quickly waned after the costs became clear.
A terv támogatottsága gyorsan csökkent, miután világossá váltak a költségek.
The pain finally waned enough for her to fall asleep.
Learner examples
My interest waned after a few weeks.
Néhány hét után alábbhagyott az érdeklődésem.
The noise waned and the street became quiet.
A zaj alábbhagyott, és az utca elcsendesedett.
Common mistake:
Wane is usually intransitive (you say ‘interest wanes’, not ‘wane interest’).
Meaning
become weaker or less
Collocations
interest wanes
|enthusiasm wanes
|support wanes
|confidence wanes
|influence wanes
|power wanes
|strength wanes
|the pain wanes
|attention wanes
|the excitement wanes
Synonyms
decline (Often suggests a general downward trend.)
|
diminish (Emphasizes becoming smaller in amount or intensity.)
|
fade (Often used for feelings, memories, or light becoming less strong.)
|
ebb (Suggests a gradual flowing away, like a tide.)
Antonyms
increase (Become greater in amount or intensity.)
|
grow (Develop or become larger/stronger over time.)
|
strengthen (Become more powerful or firm.)
Themes
change
|time
|emotions
Definition
to slowly become less strong or less important
To gradually become weaker, smaller, or less intense or important.
VERB
C1
2
fogy
A2
fogyóban van
B1
Usage pattern:
the moon wanes
After the full moon, the moon begins to wane.
Telihold után a Hold fogyni kezd.
We planned the hike for when the moon was waning to avoid bright nights.
A túrát arra az időszakra terveztük, amikor a Hold fogyóban volt, hogy elkerüljük a világos éjszakákat.
A waning crescent hung low in the early morning sky.
Learner examples
The moon wanes after the full moon.
A Hold telihold után fogy.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse wane (Moon looks smaller) with wax (Moon looks bigger).
Meaning
moon’s lit part gets smaller
Collocations
the moon wanes
|as the moon wanes
|the waning moon
|a waning crescent
|a waning gibbous
|after the full moon, it wanes
Synonyms
decrease (General term; less specific to lunar phases.)
|
fade (Focuses on the light becoming less strong.)
Antonyms
wax (The Moon’s illuminated part increases.)
Themes
nature
|space
|time
Definition
When the moon wanes, it looks smaller each night after the full moon.
To decrease in the visible illuminated area, as the Moon does after a full moon.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
3
hanyatlás
C1
Usage pattern:
the wane of [something]
The novel traces the wane of a once-powerful family.
A regény egy egykor nagy hatalmú család hanyatlását követi nyomon.
In the wane of his career, he turned to teaching.
Pályája hanyatló szakaszában a tanítás felé fordult.
Historians still debate the causes of the wane of the dynasty.
Common mistake:
This noun use is uncommon; most everyday English uses wane as a verb or uses ‘decline’ as a noun.
Meaning
a gradual decline
Collocations
the wane of an empire
|the wane of influence
|in its wane
Synonyms
decline (Much more common in modern English.)
|
downturn (Often used for business or the economy.)
Antonyms
rise (A movement upward in strength or importance.)
|
growth (An increase over time.)
Themes
change
|time
Definition
a slow decrease (used mostly in literary writing)
A gradual decrease or decline, especially in strength, power, or importance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wane
IPA
GB/wˈeɪn/
US/wˈeɪn/
Syllables & stress
wane (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wane)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: wane
- 3rd Person Singular: wanes
- Present Participle: waning
- Past: waned
Expressions
on the wane
1/ˈɔn ðə wˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
declining; becoming less strong
getting weaker or less popular
Examples
- By the 1990s, their popularity was clearly on the wane.
- The storm is on the wane, but the roads are still icy.
- His influence in the company seems to be on the wane.
Learner examples
- The trend is on the wane.
wane away
1/wˈeɪn əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
gradually disappear or weaken
to slowly become weaker and almost disappear
Examples
- The music waned away as we walked down the corridor.
- Their hopes slowly waned away after months of delays.
- The applause waned away and the room fell silent.
Learner examples
- The sound waned away.
wax and wane
1/wˈæks ˈænd wˈeɪn/
idiom
literary
increase and decrease over time
To grow stronger or bigger and then weaker or smaller again, in a regular or repeated way.
Examples
- His interest in politics tends to wax and wane.
- Public support for the project has waxed and waned over the years.
- Fashions wax and wane, but classic styles remain popular.
wax and wane
1/wˈæks ˈænd wˈeɪn/
idiom
increase and decrease repeatedly
to go up and down over time
Examples
- Her confidence waxed and waned depending on who was in the room.
- Public interest in the case has waxed and waned for years.
- My motivation tends to wax and wane during the winter.
Learner examples
- My energy waxes and wanes.