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
Verb
The common signs of drought and heat stress are wilting, drying or browning leaves, sun scorch on branches and trunks, and an overall look of dehydration. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 The leafy greens — spinach, butter lettuce, arugula and watercress — will wilt quickly when they’re placed in liquid. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 Candy gets eaten, flowers wilt, and teddy bears get tossed aside. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 7 Feb. 2024 For 22 minutes on Saturday night in a blowout of the Beavers, Rodman played about five inches bigger than his 6-foot-6 frame, beating the backboard into submission in one of the more impressive individual performances of a formerly wilting USC season. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 4 Feb. 2024 Stir in 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until wilted. Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Green Shakshuka With Avocado and Lime This easy twist on classic North African shakshuka (traditionally eggs baked in tomato-pepper sauce, with cumin, paprika and cayenne) starts with an onion-garlic-chard sauteed until gently wilted: a nest of sorts for steam-poaching eggs. Emily Weinstein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Arrange wilted spinach over onions and scatter peas over the top. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2024 The Bulldogs didn't wilt and closed the gap, and the Wildcats ended with their third triple-digit performance this season and first in SEC play since beating Tennessee 107-79 on Jan. 15, 2022. Gary B. Graves, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2024
Noun
As soon as the kale wilts slightly and turns brighter green, remove from the heat and toss with a dash of sherry vinegar. Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024 Shake the pan and when the escarole starts to wilt, turn off heat. Claudia Alexander, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024 Remove from heat; let stand, covered, until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023 Add kale; use tongs to toss mixture until kale wilts, about 3 minutes. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 Here are some common issues: Curling Leaves Bacterial wilt is the most likely culprit of curling leaves. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2023 That means the plant germinates, sprouts, grows, blooms, wilts, and dies within a singular growing season (usually from spring to the following winter). Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 2 Aug. 2023 Bacterial wilt occurs when soil temperatures rise, causing rapid yellowing and spotting on leaves. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2023 To my left, a gray-haired woman in her early ‘70s wilts, balled and grimacing in her Burgundy puffer coat. Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wilt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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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