wanton
n.n. a person who is cruel or does not care about the feelings of others. This is an old-fashioned word that you might see in stories about the past.
n. a person who is cruel, wicked, or lacks restraint. Archaic in modern usage; typically appears in historical or literary contexts.
The king was known for his cruel wanton.
The historical novel describes a wanton who caused great suffering to the local villagers.
The poet's work serves as a grim reminder of the wanton who once ruled the kingdom with absolute and merciless power.
From Middle English wantoun, wantowen, wantoȝen, wantowe (“uneducated; unrestrained; licentious; sportive; playful”), from wan- (“not, un-, mis-”) + towen, i-towen (“educated”, literally “towed; led; drawn”), from Old English togen, ġetogen, past participle of tēon (“to train, discipline”), equivalent to wan- + towed.
Borrowed from Cantonese 雲吞 /云吞 (wan⁴ tan¹).