What does "wilt" mean?
The act of wilting or the state of being wilted.
Wilt
/wɪlt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of wilting or the state of being wilted.
- Grammar: wilt is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: wilt disease, beat, blow, break.
- Useful contrasts: flowering plants, blossom pattern, flourish.
- Usage evidence: The flowers wilt without water.
How to use "wilt"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wilt" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wilt" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wilt" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wilt" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wilt" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "wilt disease" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wilt", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of wilting or the state of being wilted. countable, uncountable
- 2 causing to become limp or drooping wordnet
- 3 Any of various plant diseases characterized by wilting. countable, uncountable
- 4 any plant disease characterized by drooping and shriveling; usually caused by parasites attacking the roots wordnet
Verb
- 1 To droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower). intransitive
- 2 second-person singular simple present indicative of will archaic, form-of, indicative, present, second-person, singular
"'Oh, my love, my love!' she murmured, 'wilt thou ever know how I have loved thee?' and she kissed him on the forehead, and then went and stood in the pathway of the flame of Life."
- 3 become limp wordnet
- 4 To fatigue; to lose strength; to flag. intransitive
"Not only were Jupp Heynckes' team pacey in attack but they were relentless in their pursuit of the ball once they had lost it, and as the game wore on they merely increased their dominance as City wilted in the Allianz Arena."
- 5 lose strength wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To cause to droop or become limp and flaccid (as a flower). transitive
"Peer pressure on both partners, even from within the lesbian community, can help to wilt a budding intergenerational romance."
- 7 To cause to fatigue; to exhaust. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The flowers wilt without water."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wilt"?
Common synonyms include: wilt disease, beat, blow, break, break down, burn out.
How do you use "wilt" in a sentence?
The flowers wilt without water.
How do you pronounce "wilt"?
Pronounced /wɪlt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Recorded since 1691, probably an alteration of welk, itself from Middle English welken, presumed from Middle Dutch (preserved in modern inchoative verwelken) or Middle Low German welken (“to wither”), cognate with Old High German irwelhen (“to become soft”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English wilt, from Old English wilt, from Proto-West Germanic *wilt, second person singular preterite-present of Proto-West Germanic *willjan. Cognate with Dutch wilt (“wilt”, second-person singular of willen), German willt (archaic second person singular indicative of wollen).