wilting 1 of 3

adjective

as in sagging

Related Words

Relevance

wilting

2 of 3

noun

as in failing

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

wilting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of wilt
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

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

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
Adjective
Look for wilting flowers and any blooms forming seed pods at their base. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 June 2026 The first sign your peace lily is thirsty will be yellowing and wilting leaves. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026 No wilting languor on this veranda — for that matter, no veranda either — just ferocity, desperation, and, of course, brutal desire. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025
Noun
The early signs of root rot—yellowing, wilting, and dropping leaves—can fool you into thinking the plant needs more water. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 Intensive feeding can weaken plants and cause stunted growth and wilting. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026 If needed, water again during the heat of the day, even misting the plants a little to prevent wilting. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Verb
Alcaraz missed this year's French Open — and Wimbledon — with a wrist injury, and Sinner was eliminated in the second round in Paris after wilting in the heat. — ABC News, 12 July 2026 Unfortunately, hydrangeas are notorious for wilting quickly once cut, and keeping them looking fresh can prove difficult. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 6 July 2026 Underwatering Gardening expert Jen McDonald says that underwatering is the most common reason for petunias wilting. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 27 June 2026 While wearing the glasses, a wearer can ask questions about topics in one's surroundings, like asking for more information about a landmark on vacation, identifying care instructions for a wilting plant or discovering a full recipe for a dish at a favorite restaurant. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 23 June 2026 Intended as a celebration of the progress embodied by the nation's first Black leader, its Juneteenth unveiling comes at a time when his agenda - and broader diversity initiatives - are wilting from a decade of concerted attack. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 18 June 2026 These will still need regular watering but might just make it through the day without wilting. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 Beating the spotlight-wilting Maple Leafs was one thing. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilting
  1. failing
  2. drooping
  3. fading
  4. drying
  5. weakening
  6. hanging
  7. sagging
  8. withering
Noun
  • Was Trump, reportedly livid over the Air Force One leak, concerned about the risk to security—or about the prospect of personal embarrassment due to the failings of a questionable gift that had cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to upgrade?
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • His troubles, his failings are not of his own making but of a world that is out of joint.
    — Book Marks, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • The two most common causes are ptosis, which is a drooping eyelid caused by weakness of the muscle that lifts the eyelid, and dermatochalasis, which is excess eyelid skin.
    — Carlos Wolf, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Why Hydrangeas Droop So Quickly Some types of cut flowers seem to last forever in vases—like coneflowers, cosmos, and zinnias—but hydrangeas usually start drooping quickly.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 6 July 2026
Definition of drooping
Verb
  • Bullish risk reversal In an attempt to capitalize on the historically expensive downside SPCX options and position for a violent snap-back, this risk reversal seeks to finance upside exposure by fading the put skew.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • Designed to resist fading from chlorine and sunscreen, the material will stay intact for many summers to come.
    — Alexandra Malmed, InStyle, 16 July 2026
Definition of fading
Verb
  • Made of breathable, quick-drying fabric that helps wick away moisture, the relaxed silhouette helps promote airflow while still looking polished.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026
  • Using lightweight technical yarns and relaxed silhouettes, the pieces are intended to be quick-drying and adaptable enough to work from everyday errands to formal events, in line with Silberstein’s overall ethos.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
Definition of drying
Noun
  • The book argues that democracies erode through the backsliding of democratic ideals like mutual tolerance, along with legal processes like the weakening of independent courts.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
  • Marcel Thieliant, head of Asia-Pacific at Capital Economics said the strength in export values is almost entirely a result of soaring export prices, which reflects both the weakening of the yen as well as soaring prices of memory chips.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • The club have seemingly had question marks hanging over their goalkeepers for the best part of 25 years.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Just really tried to push him out over and was able to get a hanging slider.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
Definition of hanging
Verb
  • Those areas get just as much sun exposure (if not more), and are prone to crepiness and sagging, dark spots, and uneven skin tone.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 18 July 2026
  • Adding to the sagging mood is a broader reconsideration of AI’s returns on investment.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Definition of sagging
Verb
  • His case prompted a withering rebuke from the California Supreme Court, which said Kaiser’s system of arbitrating legal disputes was subject to long delays and unfair to its members.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • But his 2026 breakout has been anchored by a stump speech built around a withering take down of the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of withering

Browse Nearby Words

wilted
wilting
wilts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilting. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on wilting

Nglish: Translation of wilting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All