wan

A 2012 self-portrait shows a startled, wan Mr. Hockney unhappily staring at the viewer as if we’ve just interrupted a rare moment of peace; it’s a radical departure from his usually cheery depictions of himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The terrific Beecham is saddled with a dismal hairdo and an even more dismal role, her character simply an object of wan yearning for the drowsy John.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024

If you were not eating meat in the 1990s and early 2000s, you might harbor painful memories of the wan, wet vegan dogs of yesteryear.

From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2024

Is it that the many bad versions out there — soggy noodles swathed in bottled dressing and tossed with wan vegetables — make good ones hard to imagine?

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2023

Mrs. Fermin smiles at me and says very softly, very gently, “What d’you wan, Mr. Park?”

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

But if the orchestrations, by Mr. Kitt and Michael Starobin, are atypically wan, Mr. Kitt’s lyrics are even wanner.

From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2019

Says one Bostonian who knows her well: "There isn't anyone wanner or dearer, when she's feeling good."

From Time Magazine Archive

Carl's entrances into the Coliseum may have been slightly louder, but Edwin's were appreciably wanner.

From Time Magazine Archive

When she was out in the drizzle, however, Her Majesty's smile grew wanner and wanner, and sometimes disappeared.

From Time Magazine Archive

A makeshift signal flag—a red knitted leg wanner of the sort worn by dancers— was knotted to the end of an alder branch by the vehicle's rear exit.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

In many a laboured scene of the wannest humour and of the most affecting passion I have seen the best actors disconcerted, while these buzzing muscatos have been fluttering round their eyes and ears.

From The Palmy Days of Nance Oldfield by Edward Robins

To get the two hundred pounds required to pay off the mortgage upon 'Bachelors' Hall,' Clare addressed himself first to Lord Radstock, whom he looked upon as one of his wannest and most sincere friends.

From The Life of John Clare by Frederick Martin

Their conduct merits our wannest esteem; and I beg leave to add, that I think the public will do well to make them a handsome gratuity.

From The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 by Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart

My brother," cried Henry, with the wannest pleasure, "you have played me the most agreeable trick in the world, and have showed me the full confidence I may place in you.

From Historical Tales, Vol. 4 (of 15) The Romance of Reality by Charles Morris

She was dressed in her grey uniform and sheltered under her cape the thinnest, wannest mite of humanity that ever the Club had seen outside of the streets of a city slum.

From Ethel Morton and the Christmas Ship by Mabell S. C. (Mabell Shippie Clarke) Smith

Mademoiselle was poking at a rusty stove that smoked a little and wanned the room indifferently.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Around noon, when the air had wanned, Frightful gave the little eyas the last bites of the rat.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Not precisely royal fare, but nourishing; it tasted good enough and wanned the belly.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

And by and by The wide-winged sunset wanned and waned; The lean night-wind crept westward, chilling and sighing; The poor old hulk remained, Stuck helpless in mid-ebb.

From Highways and Byways in Sussex by Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs

A thrill of affection for this place wanned the young man.

From The Spoilers by Rex Ellingwood Beach

It had a slim chance of wanning its fight.

From Time Magazine Archive

Stark Young takes a view of art which is wanning to those tired of abstruse and cerebral esthetics.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was a French sportwriter just wanning up to the famed Tour de France, the month-long bicycle race that attracts the world's largest crowds.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Proclaimers are just wanning up on that misery-to-happiness song—the follow-up to “Five Hundred Miles.”

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

“So I work for a relief agency,” she said, wanning up.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee