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waning

waning

7 6.2
The moon's lit part becomes smaller each night
  • adjective
  • /ˈweɪnɪŋ/
: menguante
  • Farmers often used the waning phase of the moon to determine the best time for planting certain crops.

Examples

  • As the month progresses, the waning phase becomes more noticeable.

  • The harvest festival was held under a waning moon.

  • As the waning moon rose, the night became darker and quieter.

  • The waning moon shone faintly in the night sky.

  • As the waning moon illuminated the garden, shadows grew longer and softer.

  • The waning moon is a perfect time for stargazing, as it provides less light pollution.

  • During the waning phase, the moon appears smaller and less bright in the sky.

Synonyms

darkening
vswaning
9 3.4

Becoming less light as evening comes or clouds gather

is about the shrinking lit portion seen from Earth rather than getting generally darker
fading
vswaning
6 3.0

A slow loss of strength, color, or sound over time

is the specific phase when the Moon's visible light decreases

Antonyms

2 4.6

When the moon's visible part is getting larger

Surface Forms

waning positive

Morphology

waning = wane (transparent) = wane + ing

Adjectival use formed directly from the verb 'wane' with the standard participial suffix '-ing', meaning 'decreasing'.

Etymology

Waning comes from the old English verb wane, which means 'to decrease'. It was first used for the Moon when its bright part 'grows less', so a waning moon shows less light each night.