1
as in drooping
to be limp from lack of water or vigor
the plants wilted after I forgot to water them for three whole days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
she had wilted a bit after walking around the hot and humid city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drying
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of wilting
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
The sellers had painted the walls a yellowish hue hovering somewhere between a ripe banana and the grey of a wilting pear.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Their two fourth-quarter drives started strong and ended up wilting, first with the Nix pick and second with a couple of bad penalties on Dobbins (for spiking the ball after a run) and tight end Adam Trautman (facemask).
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Dylan found the brick house with the peach pink tulips wilting in the window.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
This helps prevent wilting, but also softens up and removes dirt and bugs on the stems.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
Use an ice cube tray to freeze lemon juice, wilting herbs, and even red wine, all of which are perfect additions to your home cooking.
—Gia Mora, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Camellia dieback and canker disease is characterized by sudden wilting and yellowing of the foliage and die-back of branch tips.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
The sellers had painted the walls a yellowish hue hovering somewhere between a ripe banana and the grey of a wilting pear.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Their two fourth-quarter drives started strong and ended up wilting, first with the Nix pick and second with a couple of bad penalties on Dobbins (for spiking the ball after a run) and tight end Adam Trautman (facemask).
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Dylan found the brick house with the peach pink tulips wilting in the window.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
This helps prevent wilting, but also softens up and removes dirt and bugs on the stems.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Into the mix are their best friends, lawyer Barry (Andy Samberg) and his wife Amy (Kate McKinnon), who mostly are observers of the wilting Roses but with just the right touch of sympathy and advice.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
Use an ice cube tray to freeze lemon juice, wilting herbs, and even red wine, all of which are perfect additions to your home cooking.
—Gia Mora, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilting
Verb
-
When treating forehead lines together with glabellar lines, headaches are most common (9 percent), followed by brow drooping and eyelid drooping (each 2 percent).—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That combo typically signals bearish pressure is fading and a potential trend shift is forming.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Glitter’s dusty shadow, fading into the lower part of the brow bone, brought out the moody hue on the lips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The high-wrap lenses trap humidity and block drying air currents.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Though the handwash sink wasn’t working, the inspector still noted a lack of paper towels or mechanical blower for drying hands.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hilary Putnam, one of the 20th century’s most influential philosophers, stood out as a rare figure who treated changing his mind as a virtue rather than a failing.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The inquest is expected to consider some or all of the concerns that were raised at the time and reported by The Athletic in the immediate aftermath, with multiple eyewitnesses alleging failings in the care provided by Sheffield Wednesday and its medical services.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What To Know The display shows two mannequins dressed in red hats, black shirts, khaki pants, and black masks hanging by their necks from a wooden frame topped with a Mexican flag.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Alice never leaves my messages hanging.—
Windsor Johnston,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If the economy is not weakening, but strengthening, the outlook for inflation could tilt higher.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Equal-weight consumer discretionary has been under a bit of pressure, with restaurant and travel names weakening, and is now clearly underperforming the broad market on a one-year basis.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Farmer livelihood at risk of 'withering away' Hoosier farmers and Chinese importers may make for strange bedfellows, but the simple mechanics of supply and demand have the two entangled financially.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Both quarterbacks faced quality defenses and challenges in their own ways — Herbert with the withering pass rush and Nix with the frustrating Jesse Minter shells that keep everything in front and require a combination of patience and opportunism.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mahama’s installations, which say something about societal deterioration, also dramatize the country’s inability to sustain robust funding in the arts or technology in its postindependence years.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Indeed, September’s deterioration doesn’t signal the first time the indicator has entered recession territory—it’s been there since February 2025—but marks a further step away from a healthy outlook over a prolonged period of time.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilting. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share