wanton en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈwɒntən/ (Australia)
- /ˈwɒntɒn/ (Australia)
- wän'tən (General-American)
- /ˈwɑntən/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈwɒntən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English wantoun, wantowen, wantoȝen, wantowe (“uneducated; unrestrained; licentious; sportive; playful”), from wan- (“not, un-, mis-”) + towen, i-towen (“educated”, literally “towed; led; drawn”), from Old English togen, ġetogen, past participle of tēon (“to train, discipline”), equivalent to wan- + towed.
Meanings
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(archaic) Undisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.
As Flies to wanton Boyes are we to th' Gods, / They kill us for their sport.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:'Tis the cruel gripe, / That lean hard-handed poverty inflicts, / The hope of better things, the chance to win, / The wiſh to ſhine, the thirſt to be amus'd, / That at the found of Winter's hoary wing, / Unpeople all our counties, of ſuch herds, / Of flutt'ring, loit'ring, cringing, begging, looſe, / And wanton vagrants, as make London, vaſt / And boundless as it is, a crowded coop.
1785, William Cowper, “Book III. The Garden.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 133:
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(obsolete) Playful, sportive; merry or carefree.
The grave simplicity of the philosopher was ill calculated to engage her wanton levity, or 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, volume 1:
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Lewd, immoral; sexually open, unchaste.
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.
1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:People should not marry too young, because, if they do, the children will be weak and female, the wives will become wanton, and the husbands stunted in their growth.
1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.21:O you nymphs and dryads, who are wont to to dwell in thickets and forests, loved, although in vain, by wanton and lustful satyrs, may they ne'er disturb your sweet tranquility, and may you help me lament my misfortune, or at least not grow weary of hearing it!
Part 1 published in 1605, Part 2 in 1615, translated in 2003, Miguel de Cervantes and translated by Edith Grossman, Don Quixote, page 196: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 [...].
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
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Capricious, reckless of morality, justice etc.; acting without regard for the law or the well-being of others; gratuitous.
Edward himself, now thoroughly enlightened on her character, had no scruple in believing her capable of the utmost meanness of wanton ill-nature.
1811, [Jane Austen], Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:Several cases of serious wanton damage have occurred on the new electric trains on the Manchester-Bury line of the London Midland Region during recent weeks.
1960 May 14, “Wanton Damage in Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 300: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.
2009 August 10, Ben White, The Guardian:
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(archaic) Extravagant, unrestrained, excessive.
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 January 19, John Ruskin, Letters: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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most wanton | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| wantonest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more wanton | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| wantoner | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
repressible · inhibited · disciplined · constrained · orderly · ruly · apollonian · under control · restrained
Deriveds
wantonise · wanton kittens make sober cats · wantonhood · unwanton · wantonize · wag-wanton · wantonhead
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
indomitable · randy · boisterous · rowdy · rambunctious · free-spirited · wayward · unkempt · raucous
Relateds
maenadic · enthusiastic · libidinous · obstinate · libertine
Synonyms
gung ho · happy-go-lucky · careless · excessive · lickerish · busy as a bee · overweening · unbridled · diligent · easygoing · indifferent · unrestrained · at peace · reinless · untroubled · at ease · zealous · obscene · bratty · rampant · wanton · excited · corny · difficult · impetuous · driven · nimble · ablaze · active · tranquil · horny · unanxious · lusty · restive · over the top · snappy · hot to trot · anarchic · libidinous · aroused · inhumane · expeditious · unreined · lavish · disciplineless · unvanquished · airy · wanton · unchecked · enthusiastic · prurient · serene · lavish · toey · merciless · lustful · sprightly · stanchless · lascivious · abuzz · fractious · casual · unmeasured · undue · mellow · wild · unjustified · hot and bothered · horrendous · relaxed · ungovernable · unruffled · carefree · driving · wanton · undisturbed · wanton · amorous · flustered · perky · thirsty · frolicsome · frisky · unruly · indisciplined · brisk · sassy · lively · overmuch · unworried · prodigal · leisurely · buzzing · anarchic · unchaste · wanton · sexed up · gay · rampant · uninhibited · impure · nimious · moving · vivid · buckish · drippy · devil-may-care · eager · coltish · frisky · loose · dynamic · zippy · spirited · untoward · hearty · unreasonable · chaotic · de trop · out of control · keen · toey as a Roman sandal · insouciant · buxom · in heat · rantipole · out of joint · vivacious · youthful · frisky · offhand · energetic · DTF · unconcerned · desirous · fuckish · chill · zestful · extravagant · animate · vigorous · animated · stimulated · unbothered · extreme · intemperate · hot · sprunt · callous · agile · lawless · prodigal · lustful · gagging for it · unrestrained · dionysiac · lighthearted · uncontrolled · easy-breezy · lewd · randy · busy · motivated · ungoverned · luxuriant · vibrant · uncontrollable · loose-handed · unchaste · ravenous · cool · effervescent · peppy · venereal · industrious · anarchical · governless · airy · venereous · pococurante · glowing · solute · genki · happy · devilish · spry · immoderate · merry · mobile · irrepressible · nonchalant · laid-back · lewd · undisciplined · ruttish · concupiscent · rutty · dionysian · kinetic · turned on · alive
Translations (138)
es sin sentido (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · fi vastuuton (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · fr lascif (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · gl carrapicheiro (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · de rücksichtslos (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · la petulcus (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · cmn 淘氣 /淘气 (playful, carefree) · pt impúdico (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ga macnasach (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · bg необуздан (undisciplined) · gl escachado (playful, carefree) · da løssluppen (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru необу́зданный (undisciplined) · da hensynsløs (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · ru изли́шний (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · tr hafifmeşrep (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · bg безпътен (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mk бу́ен (undisciplined) · hu buja (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · de wild (undisciplined) · ru капри́зный (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · es lascivo (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · gl bagaxa (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · cmn 淘氣 /淘气 (undisciplined) · es autoindulgente (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · de unbeherrscht (undisciplined) · cs bezohledný (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · grc ἀσελγής (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · hu szeszélyes (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · ga teaspúil (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mk и́грив (playful, carefree) · la luxuriosus (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · fi rietas (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · de unberechenbar (undisciplined) · fi holtiton (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · gl gadal (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · nb frivol (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mi karihika (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · es libidinoso (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · es indisciplinado (undisciplined) · ru своевольный (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · fr licencieux (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · de unkontrolliert (undisciplined) · da uberhersket (undisciplined) · cs prostopášný (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mk свое́волен (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · gl inchafoles (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · es desaprensivo (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · pl nieposłuszny (undisciplined) · bg палав (undisciplined) · cs neopodstatněný (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · bg екстравагантен (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · fi siveetön (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mk па́лав (undisciplined) · sv ohämmad (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · ru весёлый (playful, carefree) · gl burdallo (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · bg разпуснат (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · hu könnyelmű (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · cs bezdůvodný (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · de boshaft (playful, carefree) · gl godalleiro (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fi hätäinen (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · fi huikentelevainen (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · bg игрив (playful, carefree) · gl cascudo (playful, carefree) · fi huikentelevainen (undisciplined) · es desenfrenado (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · gl fodón (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · it indisciplinato (undisciplined) · gl vertolán (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · da vild (undisciplined) · da ilter (undisciplined) · es lujurioso (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · cs svévolný (undisciplined) · nl losbandig (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · da kåd (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · nl wellustig (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru блудли́вый (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ja 悪意のある (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · gl burdallo (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · pt devasso (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · bg капризен (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · pt indisciplinado (undisciplined) · hu feslett (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fr dévergondé (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · da uhæmmet (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · cs zhýralý (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · la cupidus (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fr gratuit (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · gl lúbrico (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · sv lättfärdig (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · gl indisciplinado (undisciplined) · es inmoderado (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · mk ра́спуштен (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru распу́тный (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru игри́вый (playful, carefree) · gl rixoso (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · pl niepohamowany (undisciplined) · de lüstern (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru чрезме́рный (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · da lemfældig (playful, carefree) · nl roekeloos (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · gl desenfurriñado (playful, carefree) · gl chito (playful, carefree) · de ausgelassen (playful, carefree) · fr lubrique (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · es lujurioso (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · bg безгрижен (playful, carefree) · de unkeusch (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · ru беззабо́тный (playful, carefree) · ru разнузданный (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fi leikkisä (playful, carefree) · da skødesløs (playful, carefree) · es juguetón (playful, carefree) · es desenfadado (playful, carefree) · es gratuito (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · ru непоко́рный (undisciplined) · mk бе́згрижен (playful, carefree) · nl onbeheerst onkuis (undisciplined) · pl nieposkromiony (undisciplined) · mk ра́скошен (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · sv lössläppt (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · mk ве́сел (playful, carefree) · tr fingirdek (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · gl mico (self-indulgent, luxurious, extravagant) · hu ledér (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fi riehakas (playful, carefree) · de leichtfertig (playful, carefree) · fi irstas (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · fi kuriton (undisciplined) · mi tīweka (lewd, immoral; sexually open/free) · gl degoxón (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · da tøjlesløs (undisciplined) · es caprichoso (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · fr indiscipliné (undisciplined) · bg своенравен (capricious, reckless of morals or justice) · da ubekymret (playful, carefree)