ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsW–Zwanton
ISEE/SSAThard
wanton
Meaning: malicious, unprovoked, or recklessly unrestrained
wanton in a sentence
How wanton is used in real sentences:
The judge condemned the wanton destruction of the community garden.
A wanton act of vandalism shattered every window in the empty school.
“But the painted plaster had not failed uniformly: rain had blurred several faces, while a wanton act of vandalism had gouged the central musician without any apparent purpose.”
— from the passage The Visible Scars
Synonyms for wanton
Other words for wanton — reckless, malicious and unprovoked — carry the same meaning.
- reckless
- malicious
- unprovoked
Antonyms of wanton
Words that mean the opposite of wanton:
- restrained
- justified
- responsible
Where it comes from
From Middle English wantowen, meaning 'undisciplined or untrained.'
Memory hook
WANTON sounds like 'want on': reckless harm goes on without restraint.