• adj. 嬉戲的；繁茂的；荒唐的
• n. 蕩婦；水性楊花的女人
• vi. 放肆；嬉戲；閑蕩
• vt. 揮霍
• n. (Wanton)人名；(英)萬頓

來自古英語wan-towen,缺乏控制，自制，wan-,缺乏，詞源同want,towen,拉，詞源同tow。引申詞義恣意妄為的，缺乏管教的，淫蕩的等。

wanton

wanton: [13] Someone who is wanton is etymologically ‘lacking in proper upbringing or discipline’. The word was formed from the Middle English prefix wan- ‘un-’ (a reduced form of the adjective wane ‘lacking’, which is related to the modern English verb wane) and towen, a descendant of Old English togen, the past participle of tēon ‘pull’, hence ‘bring up, train, discipline’.
=> wane

wanton (adj.)

early 14c., wan-towen, "resistant to control; willful," from Middle English privative word-forming element wan- "wanting, lacking, deficient," from Old English wan-, which was used interchangeably with un- (1), and is cognate with German wahn- (as in wahnglaube "superstition," wahnschaffen "misshapen," wahnwitzig "mad, foolish"), Dutch wan- (as in wanbestuur "misgovernment," wanluid "discordant sound"), Swedish and Danish van-, from Proto-Germanic *wano- (see wane). Common in Old and Middle English, still present in 18c. glossaries of Scottish and Northern English; this word is its sole modern survival.

Second element is Middle English towen, from Old English togen, past participle of teon "to train, discipline;" literally "to pull, draw," from Proto-Germanic *teuhan (cognates: Old High German ziohan "to pull," from Proto-Germanic *teuhan; see tug (v.)). The basic notion perhaps is "ill-bred, poorly brought up;" compare German ungezogen "ill-bred, rude, naughty," literally "unpulled." Especially of sexual indulgence from late 14c. Meaning "inhumane, merciless" is from 1510s. Related: Wantonly; wantonness.

As Flies to wanton Boyes are we to th' Gods, They kill vs for their sport. [Shakespeare, "Lear," 1605]

wanton (n.)

"one who is ill-behaved," mid-15c., especially "lascivious, lewd person" (1520s), from wanton (adj.).

wanton (v.)

"to revel, frolic unrestrainedly," 1580s, from wanton (adj.). Related: Wantoned; wantoning.

1. Wanton violence is now becoming a regular feature of urban life.

肆無忌憚的暴行在城市生活中越來越司空見慣。

來自柯林斯例句

2. It was wanton, moronic vandalism.

這是無端、愚蠢的惡意破壞。

來自柯林斯例句

3. a wanton disregard for human life

全然不顧人的死活

來自《權(quán)威詞典》

4. She is living in wanton luxury.

她生活極其奢侈.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

5. A wanton woman prefers brawn to brains.

蕩婦喜歡肌肉發(fā)達(dá)的人甚于頭腦聰明的人.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》