WANTON

easy, light, loose, promiscuous, sluttish, wanton

(adjective) casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; “her easy virtue”; “he was told to avoid loose (or light) women”; “wanton behavior”

motiveless, unprovoked, wanton

(adjective) occurring without motivation or provocation; “motiveless malignity”; “unprovoked and dastardly attack”- F.D.Roosevelt

wanton

(noun) lewd or lascivious woman

wanton

(verb) behave extremely cruelly and brutally

wanton

(verb) engage in amorous play

luxuriate, wanton

(verb) become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously

wanton, wanton away, trifle away

(verb) spend wastefully; “wanton one’s money away”

wanton

(verb) indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life

piddle, wanton, wanton away, piddle away, trifle

(verb) waste time; spend one’s time idly or inefficiently

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

wanton (comparative wantoner, superlative wantonest)

(archaic) Undisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.

(obsolete) Playful, sportive; merry or carefree.

Lewd, immoral; sexually open, unchaste.

Capricious, reckless of morality, justice etc.; acting without regard for the law or the well-being of others; gratuitous.

(archaic) Extravagant, unrestrained, excessive.

Synonyms

• (undisciplined): see wanton

• (playful, overly happy): frolicsome, playful

• (lewd): lewd, lustful, unchaste

• (capriciously violent): inhumane, callous, merciless

• (luxuriant): extravagant, lavish, luxuriant, prodigal, unrestrained

Noun

wanton (plural wantons)

A pampered or coddled person.

An overly playful person; a trifler.

A self-indulgent person, fond of excess.

(archaic) A lewd or immoral person, especially a prostitute.

Verb

wanton (third-person singular simple present wantons, present participle wantoning, simple past and past participle wantoned)

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

(transitive) To waste or squander, especially in pleasure (most often with away).

(intransitive) To act wantonly; to be lewd or lascivious.

Synonyms

• (to act wantonly): See harlotize

Anagrams

• Antwon

Source: Wiktionary


Wan"ton, a. Etym: [OE. wantoun, contr. from wantowen; pref. wan- wanting (see Wane, v. i.), hence expressing negation + towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of teĂłn 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.

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.

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.

Wan"ton, v. t.

Definition: To cause to become wanton; also, to waste in wantonness. [Obs.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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