Wanton
/ˈwɒn.tən/noun
Lacking restraint or discipline; deliberately playful, reckless, or lewd.
Did you know?In Middle English, wanton could mean “unused to” or “spoiled by indulgence,” showing how English often turned moral judgment into a word for dangerous excess.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wanaz
“lacking, deficient”
Old English
OE
wanian
“to lessen, diminish”
Middle English
ME
wantoun / wanton
“lacking restraint; undisciplined; later, lascivious or playful”
Modern English
English
wanton
“reckless, unrestrained, or sexually immodest”