Definition of "wanton"

As Flies to wanton Boyes are we to th' Gods, / They kill us for their sport.

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene i]

'Tis the cruel gripe, / That lean hard-handed poverty inflicts, / The hope of better things, the chance to win, / The wiſh to ſhine, the thirſt to be amus'd, / That at the found of Winter's hoary wing, / Unpeople all our counties, of ſuch herds, / Of flutt'ring, loit'ring, cringing, begging, looſe, / And wanton vagrants, as make London, vaſt / And boundless as it is, a crowded coop.

1785, William Cowper, “Book III. The Garden.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], page 133

The grave simplicity of the philosopher was ill calculated to engage her wanton levity, or to fix that unbounded passion for variety, which often discovered personal merit in the meanest of mankind.

1776, Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume 1

if wenches will hang out lures for fellows, it is no matter what they suffer: I detest such creatures; and it would be much better for them that their faces had been seamed with the smallpox: but I must confess I never saw any of this wanton behaviour in poor Jenny [...].

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […]

I know I ought never to have dreamt of sending that valentine—forgive me, sir—it was a wanton thing which no woman with any self-respect should have done.

1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […]

People should not marry too young, because, if they do, the children will be weak and female, the wives will become wanton, and the husbands stunted in their growth.

1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.21

Edward himself, now thoroughly enlightened on her character, had no scruple in believing her capable of the utmost meanness of wanton ill-nature.

1811, [Jane Austen], Sense and Sensibility […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […]

these developments in Gaza are a consequence of the state of siege that the tiny territory has been under – a society that has been fenced-in, starved, and seen its very fabric torn apart by unemployment and wanton military destruction.

2009 August 10, Ben White, The Guardian

the market price will rise more or less above the natural price, according as either the greatness of the deficiency, or the wealth and wanton luxury of the competitors, happen to animate more or less the eagerness of the competition.

1776, Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I

But do not think it argues change of temper since I wrote the Frère review, or a wanton praise of one man and blame of another.

1876 January 19, John Ruskin, Letters

I would have thee gone — / And yet no farther than a wanton's bird, / That lets it hop a little from her hand, / Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, / And with a silken thread plucks it back again […]

c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

you but dally, / I pray you passe with your best violence, / I am afeard you make a wanton of me.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene ii], page 281, column 2

Peace, my wantons; he will do / More than you can aim unto.

1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince

This quiet remark serves to remind one, among other things that, Dickens was not without his reasons for a spirit of distrust towards religion by law established, as well as towards sundry other forms of religion--the spirit which, especially in his early career, was often misunderstood as hostility to religion in itself, a wanton mocking at sacred things.

1898, George Gissing, Charles Dickens: A Critical Study

...paints with tremendous force the adulteries of the two wantons Aholah and Aholibah, Israel and Judah, and their love of strangers...

1891, Mrs. Oliphant, Jerusalem: Its History and Hope

However, terrible as it may seem to the tall maiden sisters of J.P.'s in Queen Anne houses with walled vegetable gardens, this courtesan, strumpet, harlot, whore, punk, fille de joie, street-walker, this trollop, this trull, this baggage, this hussy, this drab, skit, rig, quean, mopsy, demirep, demimondaine, this wanton, this fornicatress, this doxy, this concubine, this frail sister, this poor Queenie—did actually solicit me, did actually say ‘coming home to-night, dearie’ and my soul was not blasted enough to call a policeman.

1936, Anthony Bertram, Like the Phoenix

[…] We will fetch thee straightAdonis painted by a running brook,And Cytherea all in sedges hid,Which seem to move and wanton with her breathEven as the waving sedges play wi’ th’ wind.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act PROLOGUE, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]

[…] Nature hereWantond as in her prime, and plaid at willHer Virgin Fancies […]

1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 294-296

How merrily we would sally into the fields; and strip under the first warmth of the sun; and wanton like young dace in the streams […]

c. 1820, Charles Lamb, “Christ’s Hospital, Five and Thirty Years Ago”, in Essays of Elia‎, Paris: Baudry’s European Library, published 1835, page 15

As for her soft brown hair, it was free to wanton in the winds, save where a strip of velvet restrained it around her brows.

1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 139

It might well be, said Mrs. McNab, wantoning on with her memories […]

1927, Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse‎, London: Hogarth Press, published 1930, Part 2, 9, p. 217

[…] with this money the King shall wanton away his time in pleasures […]

1660, Samuel Pepys, diary entry for 28 April, 1660, in Henry B. Wheatley (ed.), The Diary of Samuel Pepys, London: George Bell, 1905, Volume 8, p.290

[…] Samson, having wantoned away his strength and paying the penalty […]

1881, Christina Rossetti, “St. Matthias, Apostle”, in Called to Be Saints‎, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 153

And never would he wanton his cause away with wine.

1929, “A Song of an Old General”, in Witter Bynner, Jiang Kanghu, transl., The Jade Mountain‎, New York: Vintage, published 1972, page 203

If either of us felt the respect for George that you imply by your manner, you know perfectly well that we wouldn’t have wantoned away the day as we have.

1948, Digby George Gerahty (as Robert Standish), Elephant Walk, New York: Macmillan, 1949, Chapter 15, p. 214

Be loving and courteous to your fellow Servants, not gigling or idling out your time, or wantoning in the society of men […]

1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid‎, London: T. Passinger, page 62

[…] whole herds or flocks of other women securely, and scarce regarded, traverse the park, the play, the opera, and the assembly; and though, for the most part at least, they are at last devoured, yet for a long time do they wanton in liberty, without disturbance or controul.

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […]