wanton

comparative more wanton · comparative wantoner · superlative most wanton · superlative wantonest

1. archaicUndisciplined, 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]

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   '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

   Synonyms: anarchic, rampant

2. obsoletePlayful, 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

   Synonyms: coltish, frisky, frolicsome, abuzz, active, agile, airy, alive

3. 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

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   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

   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 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

   Synonyms: lewd, lustful, unchaste, ablaze, amorous, aroused, buckish, concupiscent

4. 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

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   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 28, “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

   Synonyms: callous, inhumane, merciless, unjustified

5. archaicExtravagant, 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

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   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

   Synonyms: lavish, luxuriant, prodigal, devilish, excessive, horrendous, de trop, extravagant

plural wantons

1. A pampered or coddled person.

   I would have thee gone — / And yet no farther than a wanton's bird, / That lets it hop a little from her hand, / Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, / And with a silken thread plucks it back again[…]

   c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   Synonyms: cosset, feddle, mollycoddle

2. An overly playful person; a trifler.

   Peace, my wantons; he will do / More than you can aim unto.

   1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince

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   you but dally, / I pray you passe with your best violence, / I am afeard you make a wanton of me.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 281, column 2

   This quiet remark serves to remind one, among other things that, Dickens was not without his reasons for a spirit of distrust towards religion by law established, as well as towards sundry other forms of religion--the spirit which, especially in his early career, was often misunderstood as hostility to religion in itself, a wanton mocking at sacred things.

   1898, George Gissing, Charles Dickens: A Critical Study

   Synonyms: footler, fribble, player, sporter, toyer, whiffler

3. A self-indulgent person, fond of excess.
4. archaicA lewd or immoral person, especially a prostitute.

   ...paints with tremendous force the adulteries of the two wantons Aholah and Aholibah, Israel and Judah, and their love of strangers...

   1891, Mrs. Oliphant, Jerusalem: Its History and Hope

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   However, terrible as it may seem to the tall maiden sisters of J.P.'s in Queen Anne houses with walled vegetable gardens, this courtesan, strumpet, harlot, whore, punk, fille de joie, street-walker, this trollop, this trull, this baggage, this hussy, this drab, skit, rig, quean, mopsy, demirep, demimondaine, this wanton, this fornicatress, this doxy, this concubine, this frail sister, this poor Queenie—did actually solicit me, did actually say ‘coming home to-night, dearie’ and my soul was not blasted enough to call a policeman.

   1936, Anthony Bertram, Like the Phoenix

   Synonyms: player, roué, adulterer, bed-hopper, carpetmonger, chamberer, debauchee, debaucher

present singular third person wantons · participle present wantoning · participle past wantoned · past wantoned

1. intransitiveTo rove and ramble without restraint, rule, or limit; to revel; to play loosely; to frolic.

   It might well be, said Mrs. McNab, wantoning on with her memories […]

   1927 May, Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse, London: Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, […], →OCLC, page 217

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   […] We will fetch thee straight / Adonis painted by a running brook, / And Cytherea all in sedges hid, / Which seem to move and wanton with her breath / Even as the waving sedges play wi’ th’ wind.

   c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act PROLOGUE, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]

   […] Nature here / Wantond as in her prime, and plaid at will / Her Virgin Fancies […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 294-296

   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 […]

   1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], “Christ’s Hospital Five and Thirty Years Ago”, in Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC

   As for her soft brown hair, it was free to wanton in the winds, save where a strip of velvet restrained it around her brows.

   1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 139

   Synonyms: revel, romp

2. transitiveTo waste or squander, especially in pleasure (most often with away).

   The young man wantoned away his inheritance.

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   [W]ith this money the King shall wanton away his time in pleasures […]

   1660 May 7 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “April 28th, 1660”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume VIII, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1896, →OCLC, page 290

   […] Samson, having wantoned away his strength and paying the penalty […]

   1881, Christina Rossetti, “St. Matthias, Apostle”, in Called to Be Saints, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 153

   And never would he wanton his cause away with wine.

   1929, “A Song of an Old General”, in Witter Bynner, Jiang Kanghu, transl., The Jade Mountain, New York: Vintage, published 1972, page 203

   1948, Digby George Gerahty (as Robert Standish), Elephant Walk, New York: Macmillan, 1949, Chapter 15, p. 214, If either of us felt the respect for George that you imply by your manner, you know perfectly well that we wouldn’t have wantoned away the day as we have.

   Synonyms: lavish, splash out, splurge, throw away

3. intransitiveTo act wantonly; to be lewd or lascivious.

   Be loving and courteous to your fellow Servants, not gigling or idling out your time, or wantoning in the society of men […]

   1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid, London: T. Passinger, page 62

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   Happy he that ſips Eternally ſuch Nectar dovvn, that unconfin'd may Lave, and VVanton there in ſateleſs Draughts of ever ſpringing Beauty— […]

   1700 (date written), Colley Cibber, Love Makes a Man: Or, The Fop’s Fortune. A Comedy. […], London: […] Richard Parker […], Hugh Newman […], and E. Rumbal […], published 1701, →OCLC, Act II, page 19

   […] whole herds or flocks of other women securely, and scarce regarded, traverse the park, the play, the opera, and the assembly; and though, for the most part at least, they are at last devoured, yet for a long time do they wanton in liberty, without disturbance or controul.

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: colt, rig, blissom, chamber, colt, gill, harlot, harlotize

plural wantons

1. PhilippinesSingaporewonton (Chinese dumpling)

   Dumplings, wanton, and spring rolls are typical Han foods.

   2005, Meri Meredith, “Taiwan”, in Dealing with an International Clientele: Communications, Diplomacy and Etiquette (Information Services Management Series), Munich: K. G. Saur Verlag, →ISBN, chapter 10 (Cultures of the World, J–W), page 199

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   Add wanton, chives and vegetables to broth and season with 1 tablespoon salt, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 chicken cube.

   1979, Lucy Lo, “Wanton Soup with Vegetable”, in Chinese Cooking with Lucy Lo: Authentic Mouth-watering Recipes You Can Prepare at Home by a Leading Hong Kong Chef, Sydney, N.S.W.: Horwitz Publications, published 1981, →ISBN, “Beef and Pork” section, page 22, column 2

   Spread mayonnaise sparingly on one side of each of the wantons. Now make a stepped sandwich so that you can see about one-third of each type of fish on your serving plate. Start with one wanton, mayonnaise-side up, cover with a slice of tuna add another wanton, mayonnaise-side up, leaving one-third of the tuna showing.

   1993, George Mure, Jill Mure, “Sashimi Mille Feuille”, in Mures Fish Tales & Tasmanian Seafood, Hobart, Tasmania: Platypus Publishing, →ISBN, “Starters” section, page 63

   I settled on Chinese takeout for dinner—vegetable lo mein, beef and broccoli, hot and sour soup with wantons and egg rolls.

   2013, Cambria Hebert, “Piper”, in Recalled (Death Escorts; 1), →ISBN, page 104

   Also in 2012, he [Joey Chestnut] consumed 390 shrimp wantons in eight minutes at the finale of the CP Biggest Eater Competition in Bangkok, Thailand.

   2013, Geoff Tibballs, “Chestnut Champ”, in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! 2014: Dare to Look!, Orlando, Fla.: Ripley Publishing, →ISBN, “Food” section, page 219, column 3