![]() Glenn Whipp, The Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2020 "'The Handmaid’s Tale' earned 44 nominations for its first two seasons, but viewers' appetite for the dystopian drama waned in its third season." David Von Drehle, Washington Post, 19 June 2020 James taught that the value of a practice or policy doesn't depend on the authority or movement that promulgates it, nor on the philosophical framework from which it derives. "The spirit of James moves among all Americans who are disconcerted and unnerved by the absolutism waxing on the right and on the left. Occasionally we also talk about waning hours, waning moments, the waning evening, the waning summer and so on, meaning that the period of time is coming to an end, as if it's slowly shrinking, like a little sliver of the moon. ![]() Another way to express ideas like these is to say that something is "on the wane:" "Her popularity is on the wane." It's much more common for us to use "wane" by itself: we talk about public support that's waning, a leader's influence that's waning, etc. Still, you can certainly say that something is waxing: "Support for the idea is waxing in the south " "Interest in this program is waxing among the middle class." And sometimes, we say that someone "waxes poetical," "waxes lyrical," or "waxes eloquent," meaning they become that way in their speech: "Recalling the days of her youth at summer camp, she waxed poetical." We rarely use the verb "wax" on its own-unless we're talking literally about applying wax to things, like floors to shine them, or body hair to yank it out. We talk about all kinds of abstract things that wax and wane, like people's support, patience, interest, appetite, enthusiasm, popularity, etc. how to use them:Īs I mentioned above, we often pair "wax" and "wane," emphasizing how things slowly and naturally increase and decrease. Verbs, the intransitive kind: "Their energy is waxing " "Their energy is waning." We can talk about all kinds of things that wax (increase) and wane (decrease), and when we do, we're hinting that these things are in a natural cycle of slow, gradual growing and shrinking, like the moon. To wane is to shrink: to decrease, to get smaller. To wax is to grow: to develop, to increase in size. Here's the moon waxing, or seeming to grow:Īnd here's the moon waning, or seeming to shrink: (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: connect these words to others:Īlthough we can use the words wax and wane separately-"he waxed poetical " "her interest waned"-we often pair them, taking advantage of their poetic sound.Ĭan you think of any other poetic-sounding pairs? Pairs with alliteration, or rhyme, or repeating patterns of syllables? When you use them, I hope their sounds bring you joy. Say these just like they're spelled: "WAX" and "WANE."
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