From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwanewane1 /weɪn/ verb [intransitive] 1 LESSif something such as power, influence, or a feeling wanes, it becomes gradually less strong or less important My enthusiasm for the project was waning. The group’s influence had begun to wane by this time.2 HAwhen the moon wanes, you gradually see less of it OPP wax → wax and wane at wax2(4)→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
wane• The smile was beginning to wane.• Some countries' taste for purely American pop culture has waned.• When girls hit adolescence, their self-confidence begins to wane.• His popularity in the state began to wane almost immediately after the election.• But with his popularity waning and the economy temporarily faltering, Park was in trouble even in his own entourage.• The volume of the presiding cleric's voice waxed and waned as though he were speaking through a faulty microphone.• My enthusiasm had waned by the time the tea arrived.• Enthusiasm for it tends to wane during economic recessions.• But in the waning hours Saturday night, Cox came up big.• In the waning light of the spring evening, play commences in the second-grade Fathers / Students League.• Even in the final years of the Soviet Union, the managers were stepping into the void created by waning party power.wanewane2 noun → on the waneExamples from the Corpus
wane• With violence appearing to be on the wane at the moment, he may well be right that the future looks bright.• At the time, the hobby had been on the wane for years.• The influence of government agents and chief headmen, on the wane since 1920, declined still further.• However, his opponents are convinced that even in true-blue East Hampshire Tory popularity is on the wane.• The vocational profession of Alpine shepherd is on the wane, an arduous life with unreliable income.• But I could see that the moon above my head was really on the wane.• But the conservatives' influence has lately seemed on the wane.• The event coincided with New Zealand on the wane and Grant Fox paying the inevitable penalty.From Longman Business Dictionarywanewane1 /weɪn/ verb [intransitive] if something such as influence, interest, or power wanes, it gradually becomes less strongTrading activity quickly waned after the initial flurry, leaving prices stuck at the lower levels.There was some evidence that inflation was waning.→ See Verb tablewanewane2 noun on the wane becoming smaller, weaker, or less importantThe positive signs are that economic growth is steady and unemployment is on the wane.Origin wane1 Old English wanian 