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

: polyhedrosis of caterpillars

Synonyms

Verb

• droop
• flag
• hang
• loll
• sag
• swag

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

Stir in the spinach (in batches, if necessary) and cook, tossing or stirring gently, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025

Gradually add mustard greens, stirring until wilted, about 5 minutes. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025

Noun

But new variants of the fungus have emerged, some just as potentially threatening to the Cavendish as the original wilt was to the Gros Michel. —Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025

Still, even if the Cumbre Vieja volcano wiped out nearly 40% of La Palma’s banana production and the threat of the wilt is never out of view, farmers here say monocropping isn’t a point of discussion. —Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025

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