Wantoner

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A person who acts without restraint, behaves recklessly, or indulges in uncontrolled or capricious conduct
2. Someone who pursues desires or actions without regard for consequences, propriety, or the rights of others
3. An individual given to wanton behavior, acting with deliberate disregard for restraint or the impact of their actions

Etymology: Wanton itself began as a word meaning "ill-bred" or "unruly" before shifting toward its modern sense of reckless or undisciplined behavior, and the "-er" ending added to it here points to a person who carries that quality around. Two different "-er" suffixes produce "wantoner": one forms nouns for people who practise an activity, and the other forms comparatives, meaning "more wanton." So the same spelling can name someone who engages in wanton conduct or describe something that is more wanton than another thing. The form is therefore a simple case of an existing English base plus a common suffix, with no separate history of its own. Its meaning follows whichever of the two suffix senses the sentence calls for.