wilt

1 of 3

wəlt, 

ˈwilt 

archaic present tense second-person singular of will

wilt

2 of 3

verb

ˈwilt 

wilted; wilting; wilts

intransitive verb

1

a

: to lose turgor from lack of water

the plants wilted in the heat

b

: to become limp

2

: to grow weak or faint : languish

transitive verb

: to cause to wilt

wilt

3 of 3

noun

ˈwilt 

1

: an act or instance of wilting : the state of being wilted

2

a

: a disorder (such as a fungus disease) of plants marked by loss of turgidity in soft tissues with subsequent drooping and often shriveling

called also wilt disease

b

: a viral disease of caterpillars

Synonyms of wilt

Verb

• droop
• hang
• sag

Examples of wilt in a Sentence

Verb

The hot weather wilted the plants.

The crowd wilted in the heat.

He wilted under the pressure.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

And kudos to the Horns, who didn't wilt despite taking some huge body shots from a quality opponent. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026

The Illini have lost four overtime games and seem to wilt in the clutch. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026

Noun

Partially cut plants will sag and wilt, while small seedlings can be devoured entirely. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026

However, watching Manchester City be swept aside by Champions League specialists Real Madrid, or Chelsea wilt against last year’s winners Paris Saint-Germain, or even Arsenal labour to a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen, stirred echoes of previous European campaigns at this time of year. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of earlier welk, from Middle English welken, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German erwelkēn to wilt

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wilt

• oak wilt
• verticillium wilt

Rhymes for wilt

• built
• gilt
• guilt
• hilt
• kilt
• lilt
• milt
• quilt
• silt
• spilt
• stilt
• tilt

Kids Definition

wilt

1 of 3

wəlt 

(ˈ)wilt

archaic present 2nd singular of will

wilt

2 of 3 verb

ˈwilt 

1

: to lose or cause to lose freshness and become limp : droop

wilting roses

2

: to grow weak or faint

was wilting after hours of dancing

wilt

3 of 3 noun

ˈwilt 

: a plant disease (as one caused by a fungus) marked by wilting of the soft parts of the plant