What does “wax” mean?
- 1
nouna soft substance made from fat or oil, used for candles and polish
The candle wax dripped onto the table.
- 2
verb(of the moon) to appear to grow larger each night
The moon waxes and wanes every month.
- 3
verbto speak or write in a particular way, often at length
He waxed lyrical about his trip to Italy.
Wax at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /wæks/ · WAKS
How to use “wax” correctly
“Wax and wane” means grow and then shrink. “Wax lyrical” means talk with great enthusiasm.
Common phrases with “wax”
- wax and wane
- wax lyrical
- wax poetic
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- wane
“wax” is on these word lists
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