wilt

¹ American  

[wilt] / wɪlt /

verb (used without object)

1. to become limp and drooping, as a fading flower; wither.

2. to lose strength, vigor, assurance, etc..

   to wilt after a day's hard work.

   Synonyms:

   weaken, ebb, droop, wane

---

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to wilt.

noun

1. the act of wilting, or the state of being wilted.

   a sudden wilt of interest in the discussion.

2. Plant Pathology.

   1. the drying out, drooping, and withering of the leaves of a plant due to inadequate water supply, excessive transpiration, or vascular disease.

   2. a disease so characterized, as fusarium wilt.

3. a virus disease of various caterpillars, characterized by the liquefaction of body tissues.

wilt ² American  

[wilt] / wɪlt /

verb

Archaic.

1. second person singular present indicative of will.

---

wilt ¹ British  

/ wɪlt /

verb

1. to become or cause to become limp, flaccid, or drooping

   insufficient water makes plants wilt

2. to lose or cause to lose courage, strength, etc

3. (tr) to cook (a leafy vegetable) very briefly until it begins to collapse

---

noun

1. the act of wilting or state of becoming wilted

2. any of various plant diseases characterized by permanent wilting, usually caused by fungal parasites attacking the roots

wilt ² British  

/ wɪlt /

verb

1. archaic a singular form of the present tense (indicative mood) of will 1

---

Etymology

Origin of wilt

First recorded in 1685–95; dialectal variant of wilk “to wither,” itself variant of welk, Middle English welken, probably from Middle Dutch welken; compare German welk “withered”

Example Sentences

You’re not buying four different vegetables and watching half of them wilt.

From Salon

She wilted under the pressure during her individual event and left the ice in tears.

From Los Angeles Times

Individual specimens have already wilted, but the scale of damage is impossible to assess -- the destructive impact of the cold could only start to show in weeks or even months to come.

From Barron's

Ms. W. sat down, put her head in her hand, and her body wilted.

From Literature

Soft vegetables and greens usually follow once the soup is nearly there, wilting and yielding without losing their shape.

From Salon

Related Words

• cave in
• diminish
• droop
• dwindle
• ebb
• fade
• faint
• melt
• shrivel
• succumb
• wane
• wither