wilt

\ wəlt , ˈwilt \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Examples: wilt in a Sentence

Definition of wilt

archaic present tense second-person singular of will

wilt

verb \ ˈwilt \

Definition of wilt

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

See wilt defined for English-language learners

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

There are fluorescent lights and coffee cups and salads that, as the news breaks once more, wilt, uneaten, in plastic bowls.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "The Fourth Estate in the Age of Bad Faith," 15 June 2018
When Providence scored five runs in the fifth to grab a 6-3 lead, Sandburg could have wilted in the 95-degree heat.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: Sandburg will 'never forget this moment' after rallying past Providence for regional title," 29 May 2018
Clearly, doing so was like throwing a chunk of kryptonite into the room with Seoul’s Superman, effectively wilting the strength and powerful possibilities of the meeting.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump’s go-it-alone approach to foreign policy angers allies, benefits adversaries," 25 May 2018
Clearly, doing so was like throwing a chunk of kryptonite into the room with Seoul’s Superman, effectively wilting the strength and powerful possibilities of the meeting.

— james stavridis, Time, "I Served with the Military Leaders Shaping America’s North Korea Plan. Here’s What They’ll Do Next," 24 May 2018
In the camps, such a merchant kept a few leaves of cabbage, some potato peels, and some wilted radishes: that was his trade.

— ben taub, The New Yorker, "The Boarder," 30 Apr. 2018
Drier weather is here; irrigate lawns when wilting is noted on permitted days.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "May in the garden," 28 Apr. 2018
And Hurts, by and large, wilted in its harsh glare.

— michael casagrande, AL.com, "Live updates from Nick Saban after A-Day Game," 21 Apr. 2018
Add half the spinach, stir through for a minute to wilt slightly, and then add the remaining half.

— yotam ottolenghi, sacbee, "Salmon – want it easy, or want it epic?," 5 June 2018

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 year

wilt Synonyms

wilt

noun \ ˈwilt \

Definition of wilt

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 : polyhedrosis of caterpillars

Recent Examples of wilt from the Web

Plants that wilt and ooze a sticky sap when cut may be infected with bacterial wilt, which is spread by cucumber beetles.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow Loads Of Delicious Zucchini–The Most Versatile Garden Veggie Ever," 12 June 2017
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.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow Asparagus," 6 Mar. 2017
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.

— luke darby, GQ, "Michael Cohen’s One-Way Train to Screwsville Keeps Rolling On," 2 May 2018
Basil infected with fusarium wilt, one of the most common diseases, has brown streaks, twisted stems, and sudden leaf drop.

— arricca sansone, Country Living, "How to Grow Basil," 25 Apr. 2018
Like many admired people, Brown’s reputation wilts under close scrutiny.

— renée graham, BostonGlobe.com, "50 years ago, James Brown’s proud moment calmed a tense city," 4 Apr. 2018
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.

— sarah jampel, Bon Appetit, "The Only Miso Soup Recipe That Can Actually Satisfy Me for Dinner," 19 Feb. 2018
Cook just until the watercress wilts, a minute or two, then divide among serving bowls, garnishing each with a reserved sprig of watercress.

— joe yonan, sacbee, "A simple Portuguese soup to perk up your cold-weather doldrums | The Sacramento Bee," 30 Jan. 2018
Cook 2 minutes or until escarole wilts, stirring occasionally.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Garlicky Beans and Greens," 3 Dec. 2015