Wained

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A gradual diminishment in magnitude or significance has transpired
2. An occurrence of reduction in force or effectiveness has taken place
3. Became progressively smaller or decreased in size over time

Etymology: "Wained" is the past tense of "wain," which is also the origin of the rarer verb "wane." "Wain" itself is an old word for a wagon, and the two meanings sit side by side in a surprising way: the verb sense about a moon or light growing smaller seems to come from the same root that gave us a cart. The connection is that a waning moon was a kind of shrinking, and the word for a vehicle was a cousin of "wagon." Earlier English had "wain" meaning a wagon or cart, descending from Old English "wæġn," which traces back to Proto-Germanic "wagnaz" and, further back, to a root meaning "to bring" or "to transport." "Wagon" is a doublet of "wain," having entered English later from Middle Dutch, so the two words are close relatives that arrived by different routes.

Synonyms: diminished, decreased, lessened, receded, abated

Antonyms: increased, waxed, amplified, grew, expanded