English Meaning & Definitions
Deliberate and unprovoked; malicious and without justification or motive.
- โThe attack on the peaceful village was an act of wanton violence.โ
- โEnvironmentalists condemned the wanton destruction of the ancient forest.โ
(Of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and gratuitous.
- โShe felt a sense of outrage at the wanton waste of public funds.โ
- โHe showed a wanton disregard for the safety of others.โ
(Of a woman) sexually unrestrained or promiscuous; loose.
- โIn the Victorian novel, she was portrayed as a wanton woman.โ
- โHis wanton lifestyle eventually led to his social ruin.โ
A sexually promiscuous person, traditionally a woman.
- โShe was unfairly branded a wanton by the conservative townsfolk.โ
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for โwantonโ.
Middle English: from Old English 'wan-' (lacking, un-) + 'togen' (past participle of 'teon' to draw, rear, educate), hence 'untoward' or 'uncollected'. Originally meaning 'undisciplined' or 'unruly', it evolved through meanings of playfulness and lasciviousness to its modern senses of deliberate cruelty or unprovoked excess.
Think of someone who 'wants on' a wild ride without any care for rules, safety, or consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions About โwantonโ
1. What is the meaning of โwantonโ in English?
In English, wanton (adjective) is defined as: โDeliberate and unprovoked; malicious and without justification or motive.โ.
2. How do you use โwantonโ in a sentence?
โThe attack on the peaceful village was an act of wanton violence.โ
3. What are English synonyms of โwantonโ?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of โwantonโ?
Middle English: from Old English 'wan-' (lacking, un-) + 'togen' (past participle of 'teon' to draw, rear, educate), hence 'untoward' or 'uncollected'. Originally meaning 'undisciplined' or 'unruly', it evolved through meanings of playfulness and lasciviousness to its modern senses of deliberate cruelty or unprovoked excess.
๐ฌ๐งMore English Words to English
View all English words โThe base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.