verb
wilt
wihlt
verb
1
To droop and lose freshness, as a plant does when it lacks water.
"The flowers wilted in the afternoon heat."
"Without rain for weeks, the crops began to wilt."
2
To lose energy, strength, or confidence.
"The team wilted under pressure in the final minutes."
"He wilted after hours of relentless questioning."
How to Use Wilt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo droop or weaken — used for plants losing freshness or people losing energy and resolve.
Common pairings
wilt in the heat
wilt under pressure
begin to wilt
Word Forms
wilted past tense, wilts plural, Wilts plural, wilts singular
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Etymology
Recorded from the late 1600s, likely an altered form of the older word welk ("to wither"), from Middle Dutch or Low German roots meaning "to become soft".