WANTON

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wanton mean? 

• WANTON (noun)
  The noun WANTON has 1 sense:

1. lewd or lascivious woman

  Familiarity information: WANTON used as a noun is very rare.

• WANTON (adjective)
  The adjective WANTON has 2 senses:

1. occurring without motivation or provocation

2. casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior

  Familiarity information: WANTON used as an adjective is rare.

• WANTON (verb)
  The verb WANTON has 6 senses:

1. waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently

2. indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life

3. spend wastefully

4. become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously

5. engage in amorous play

6. behave extremely cruelly and brutally

  Familiarity information: WANTON used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WANTON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lewd or lascivious woman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("wanton" is a kind of...):

sensualist (a person who enjoys sensuality)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wanton"):

light-o'-love; light-of-love (a woman inconstant in love)

Derivation:

wanton (engage in amorous play)

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

wanton (casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior)

• WANTON (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Occurring without motivation or provocation

Synonyms:

motiveless; unprovoked; wanton

Context example:

unprovoked and dastardly attack

Similar:

unmotivated (without motivation)

Derivation:

wantonness (the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior

Synonyms:

easy; light; loose; promiscuous; sluttish; wanton

Context example:

wanton behavior

Similar:

unchaste (not chaste)

Derivation:

wanton (lewd or lascivious woman)

wantonness (the quality of being lewd and lascivious)

• WANTON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

piddle; piddle away; trifle; wanton; wanton away

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

drop; expend; spend (pay out)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

live (lead a certain kind of life; live in a certain style)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

wanton (lewd or lascivious woman)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spend wastefully

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

trifle away; wanton; wanton away

Context example:

wanton one's money away

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

drop; expend; spend (pay out)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

luxuriate; wanton

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

consume; squander; ware; waste (spend extravagantly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Engage in amorous play

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

butterfly; chat up; coquet; coquette; dally; flirt; mash; philander; romance (talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

wanton (lewd or lascivious woman)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Behave extremely cruelly and brutally

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "wanton" is one way to...):

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

She was surprised by a wanton thought that rushed into her mind.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It was wanton slaughter, and all for woman’s sake.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Do not think yourself excused by any weakness, any natural defect of understanding on her side, in the wanton cruelty so evident on yours.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

To have imposed any derogatory work upon him, would have been to inflict a wanton insult on the feelings of a most respectable man.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Its origin—jealousy perhaps, or wanton cruelty—was yet to be unravelled.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Petty thefts, wanton assaults, purposeless outrage—to the man who held the clue all could be worked into one connected whole.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

So he delay, and delay, and delay, till the mere beauty and the fascination of the wanton Un-Dead have hypnotise him; and he remain on and on, till sunset come, and the Vampire sleep be over.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It seemed still a wanton impulse, but she had grown more used to it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Where was the grandeur of life that it should permit such wanton destruction of human souls?

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was a cold-bloodedness in the act which wrung a groan from Arthur; when she advanced to him with outstretched arms and a wanton smile he fell back and hid his face in his hands.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)