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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Another telltale sign is finding green or black streaks along the inner wood of wilting branches. Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024 When shopping for leafy greens, look for vibrant greens that are not wilted, brown, or yellow, Mok said. Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 12 Oct. 2024
Noun
Vascular wilts can be diagnosed by dark streaking below the bark in young branches but the tip-off is usually large individual branches going to color prematurely. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 13 Sep. 2024 But when weeks pass and no word is heard from Pietro, Lucia wilts with sorrow and loneliness, her mental health suddenly declining precipitously. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near wilt

Cite this Entry

“Wilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilt. Accessed 5 Nov. 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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