wilt

1 of 3
wəlt,
ˈwilt How to pronounce wilt (audio)

archaic present tense second-person singular of will

wilt

2 of 3

verb

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

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

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
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.
Verb
The cabbage wilts a tiny bit under the acidic nature of the dressing, but retains some of its crunch. Bon Appétit, 20 Nov. 2024 Stop when the leaves turn dark green and are barely wilted. Renu Dhar, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
One is a mix of garlic, ginger and scallion sauteed in oil until the fragrances bloom and the alliums just start to wilt. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024 By the tour’s final days, Ange Postecoglou was beginning to wilt, too. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wilt 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wilt was circa 1691

Dictionary Entries Near wilt

Cite this Entry

“Wilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilt. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wilt

1 of 3
wəlt How to pronounce wilt (audio)
(ˈ)wilt

archaic present 2nd singular of will

wilt

2 of 3 verb
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
: a plant disease (as one caused by a fungus) marked by wilting of the soft parts of the plant

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