What does “wanton” mean?
- 1
adjective(of cruel or harmful acts) done deliberately and for no good reason
The report condemned the wanton destruction of the forest.
- 2
adjective(old-fashioned) behaving in a sexually immoral way
In the old novel, she is unfairly called a wanton woman.
Wanton at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈwɑntən/ · WAHN-tun
How to use “wanton” correctly
Today mostly used in fixed phrases like “wanton destruction”. The sexual sense is old-fashioned and judgmental.
Common phrases with “wanton”
- wanton destruction
- wanton cruelty
- wanton violence
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- gratuitous
- senseless
- malicious
Word family
- wantonly
- wantonness
“wanton” is on these word lists
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