wanton — deliberate and unprovoked; sexually immodest or promiscuous
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: deliberate and unprovoked; sexually immodest or promiscuous
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈwɑːntən/
Example Sentences
- The teenager's wanton spending of his allowance left him broke by Tuesday.
- The company showed wanton disregard for environmental regulations.
- His wanton destruction of the kitchen while 'cooking' resulted in ordering pizza again.
wanton
ADJECTIVE[/ˈwɑːntən/]
deliberate and unprovoked; sexually immodest or promiscuous

Kicking down the boy's carefully built sandcastle was an act of completely wanton destruction.

WANT(desire) + ON(upon) — standing ON the parked car, the punks did exactly what they WANTed, causing pure wanton damage with their bats.

Angry that his wonton soup was cold, the rude customer flipped the table in a completely wanton rage.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'wantoun', derived from Old English 'wan-' (lacking, deficient) combined with 'togen' (past participle of 'teon', meaning drawn or trained), originally meaning 'undisciplined' or 'uncontrolled'.
Breakdown
wan- (lacking, lacking discipline) + -ton (past participle suffix, drawn/trained) = wanton (undisciplined, uncontrolled, deliberate)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The teenager's wanton spending of his allowance left him broke by Tuesday.”
“The company showed wanton disregard for environmental regulations.”
“His wanton destruction of the kitchen while 'cooking' resulted in ordering pizza again.”
“The dictator's wanton abuse of power led to widespread protests.”
📚Related Words
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