wilt

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

archaic present tense second-person singular of will

wilt

2 of 3

verb

ˈwilt How to pronounce wilt (audio)
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 How to pronounce wilt (audio)
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

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
For reasons no one can figure out, the corn crops begin to wilt and die, setting off panic. — Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2025 Sometimes only misting is needed to revive wilting grass. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Noun
Related Articles Towson men’s lacrosse wilts vs. Princeton, 22-12, in NCAA first round Spanos credited the offense’s 8-0 run in a 20:11 span stretching over the second and third quarters to the players’ preference to share the ball. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025 Just skipping a few days of watering can cause plants in containers and in the ground to go into a severe wilt. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025 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

Phrases Containing wilt

Rhymes for wilt

See All Rhymes for wilt

Browse Nearby Words

Wilson, Mount
wilt
wilting coefficient
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilt. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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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
ˈwilt How to pronounce wilt (audio)
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 How to pronounce wilt (audio)
: a plant disease (as one caused by a fungus) marked by wilting of the soft parts of the plant

More from Merriam-Webster on wilt

Nglish: Translation of wilt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wilt

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