Meanings
present singular third person waxes and wanes · participle present waxing and waning · participle past waxed and waned · past waxed and waned
- To progress cyclically through various phases, such as growth and senescence.
- To alternate; to increase and diminish in turn.
The manifestation of such philosophy seemed to wax and wane, being the most common one time, but virtually without followers at another, apparently disappearing.
Synonyms: ebb and flow
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo alternate; to increase and diminish in turn.
Origin
Literally, “grow and shrink”. Compare wax with the German cognate wachsen (“to grow”). Originally (c. 14th century) used referring to the phases of the Moon. Folk etymology has occasionally mistakenly presumed the phrase to be a reference to candles, under the notion that they are produced by applying wax to a wick and then begin to wane once they are lit.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish wzrastać i zanikać, wzrosnąć i zaniknąć
- wzrastać i zanikaćto progress cyclically through various phases
- wzrosnąć i zaniknąćto progress cyclically through various phases
- mieć wzloty i upadkito progress cyclically through various phases
- falowaćto alternate; to increase and diminish in turn
- wahać sięto alternate; to increase and diminish in turn
Cite this entry
wax and wane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wax%20and%20wane
“wax and wane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wax%20and%20wane. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wax and wane,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wax%20and%20wane.
Source: wax and wane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.