adjective
- Obsolete undisciplined; unmanageable: a wanton child
- sexually loose or unrestrained: a wanton woman
- Old Poet. frisky; playful; frolicsome
- Old Poet. capricious; unrestrained: wanton winds
- senseless, unprovoked, unjustifiable, or deliberately malicious: wanton cruelty, a wanton insult
- recklessly or arrogantly ignoring justice, decency, morality, etc.: wanton disregard of human rights
- Now Rare luxuriant: said of vegetation, etc.
- lavish, luxurious, or extravagant: said of speech, dress, etc.
Origin:
ME wantowen, var. of wantogen, wanton, irregular < OE wan-, used as negative prefix < wan, lacking, deficient (see wane) + togen, pp. of teon, to draw, educate, bring up (see tow)
noun
a wanton person or thing; esp., a sexually loose or unrestrained woman
intransitive verb
to be wanton in behavior, action, manner, etc.
transitive verb
to waste carelessly or in luxurious pleasures