WILT Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

wilt

verb

ˈwilt

Definition of wilt

as in to droop

to be limp from lack of water or vigor the plants wilted after I forgot to water them for three whole days

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fade

to lose bodily strength or vigor she had wilted a bit after walking around the hot and humid city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dry

to lose liveliness, force, or freshness after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of wilt Wilting As plants lose their ability to take up nutrients and water, their leaves may wilt. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2026 Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won’t wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking). — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 2 Aug. 2026 The quick-growing plant requires about six to eight hours of full sun, but extreme heat can make the flowers wilt during the day. — Mallory Carra, The Spruce, 2 Aug. 2026 Allowing your lawn to wilt a little between waterings helps deepen the root system. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wilt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilt

Verb

A little midday drooping is normal, according to Deaton, but prolonged periods of extreme heat can put additional stress on plants.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026
In fact, some plants intentionally droop during the hottest part of the day to conserve moisture.

— Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Definition of droop

Verb

Similar bouts of traders closing short positions in early June and early July initially pushed prices higher before the gains eventually faded.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Isabelle Huppert and Virginie Efira led Farhadi’s French-language Parallel Tales, a film about Sylvie (Huppert), a fading novelist in search of inspiration for her next book, who starts spying on her neighbors across the street.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

That means my greasy microfiber cloths do get washed with my cotton drying towels, along with oven mitts, linen napkins, and the seat pads for my counter stools (my kids somehow manage to trash them every week).

— Emily Farris, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026
Once your produce is fully dried, store it in an airtight container so moisture cannot creep back in.

— Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dry

Verb

That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn’t done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts.

— Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

No bear population, even one as obviously robust as the Southern one, could withstand the withering assaults of very many Colliers and his contemporaries.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Not even a day after treatment, Wu says his juvenile sesame crop began to wither and die.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of wither

Verb

That can lead to structural problems, from drawer fronts pulling off to flimsy drawer bottoms sagging or falling out under the weight of their contents.

— Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
Either of the Serie A strikers would boost the sagging Five Stripes (3-12-3) for the rest of the MLS schedule.

— Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sag

Verb

But Vicki immediately goes past Meredith Marks (disengaging) to Amanda Frances (opening her laptop and working), even as the others try to earn their paychecks by poking at her.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
The search is underway for a person who went missing while jet skiing off the Long Beach coast on Sunday night.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of go

Browse Nearby Words

willy-nilly

wilt

wilted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilt. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wilt

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on wilt

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

divulge

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes