Definition of wilt
- archaic present tense second-person singular of will
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Definition of wilt
wilted;
wilting;
wilts
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
: to cause to wilt
Examples of wilt in a Sentence
The hot weather wilted the plants.
The crowd wilted in the heat.
He wilted under the pressure.
Recent Examples of wilt from the Web
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England, which had long wilted under its country’s overly critical news media gaze, showed up in a positive mood, and preaching that this time — finally — would be different.
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The Spartans wilted in oppressive heat at Oregon in 2014, but that was more of a surprise.
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Cue Yoshihisa Hirano, Archie Bradley and closer Brad Boxberger to finish the job, although Boxberger nearly wilted in the ninth.
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Where past England teams might have wilted in warm temperatures, this one pressed with high-tempo intensity to ensure there was no need to scrape a victory like on Monday against Tunisia.
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Nets had to be generously and carefully garnished with local vegetation, which swiftly wilted in bad weather.
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Far from wilting under the Washington spotlights, AT&T and Time Warner executives seemed energized.
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Since then, the Rockets have risen, while the Warriors wilted.
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The debutants played joyful football, winning 3-0 as Bulgaria wilted in the Texas sun.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of wilt
alteration of earlier welk, from Middle English welken, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German erwelkēn to wilt
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: circa 1691
in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
See Words from the same yearDefinition of wilt
Recent Examples of wilt from the Web
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The plant grows a big leaf each year which wilts and then becomes dormant.
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Fusarium + Verticillium Wilt These fungal wilts attack a wide range of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals.
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Plants that wilt and ooze a sticky sap when cut may be infected with bacterial wilt, which is spread by cucumber beetles.
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Minimize damage from Fusarium wilt, which causes spears, leaves, and stems to be small with large lesions at or below the soil line, by purchasing disease-free roots and using good garden sanitation.
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In fact, for a man like Trump, who's mentally stuck in the late ’80s, draws nutrients in equal measure from Big Macs and reality TV, and wilts under any amount of sunlight, finding a lawyer like Michael Cohen must have felt like divine intervention.
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Basil infected with fusarium wilt, one of the most common diseases, has brown streaks, twisted stems, and sudden leaf drop.
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Like many admired people, Brown’s reputation wilts under close scrutiny.
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This soup would also gladly welcome mustard greens or kale (just spoon the hot broth over top and watch ‘em wilt), sautéed mushrooms, cooked kabocha squash, a squeeze of lime juice, or a splash of fish sauce.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of wilt
1855
WILT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of wilt for English Language Learners
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of a plant : to bend over because of not having enough water
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: to become weak and tired especially because of hot weather
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: to lose energy, confidence, effectiveness, etc.
WILT Defined for Kids
Definition of wilt for Students
wilted;
wilting
1
: to lose freshness and become limp
- The roses are wilting.
2
: to lose strength
- … Mr. Kamata's sturdy … smile was beginning to wilt.
- —Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Egypt Game
Definition of wilt for Students
: a plant disease (as of tomatoes) in which wilting and browning of leaves leads to death of the plant
Learn More about wilt
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See words that rhyme with wilt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wilt Spanish Central: Translation of wilt Nglish: Translation of wilt for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wilt
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