Meaning & use
wilt
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Meanings
verbintransitive
If a plant wilts, its leaves or stem become soft and hang down, usually from heat or too little water.
Grammar: No object: the plant wilts by itself. You can say 'the sun wilted the flowers' only in the transitive sense below.
Patterns
- plants wilt
- flowers wilt in the heat
- something wilts from lack of water
The lettuce in the fridge had wilted by the time we got home.
These roses wilt quickly if you forget to water them.
The whole crop wilted during the long, dry summer.
verbintransitive
To become weak, tired, or less confident, especially under pressure or in difficult conditions.
Grammar: Often used with 'under': the team wilted under pressure.
Patterns
- wilt under pressure
- wilt in the heat
- somebody wilts under criticism
The young player wilted under the noise of the crowd.
He wilted when the manager asked him to explain the mistake.
Their enthusiasm wilted after months without results.
verbtransitivetechnical
To cook a vegetable briefly so that it becomes soft but keeps its color.
Grammar: Takes an object: wilt the spinach in a hot pan.
Patterns
- wilt the spinach
- wilt vegetables in butter
Wilt the spinach in a little olive oil for one minute.
She wilted the greens with garlic and served them warm.
Word forms
| third person singular | wilts |
|---|---|
| past tense | wilted |
| past participle | wilted |
| -ing form | wilting |
Common combinations
- wilt under pressure
- Some singers wilt under pressure, but she seems to enjoy it.
- wilt in the heat
- The basil will wilt in the heat unless you move it into the shade.
- wilted leaves
- Wilted leaves are usually a sign that the plant needs water.
- wilt away
- Without support, the little business slowly wilted away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- droop
- Droop means to hang down loosely and can describe any tired thing, such as a head or a flag; wilt is mainly for plants and for people losing energy.
- fade
- Fade means to lose color or strength gradually over time; wilt suggests a quicker collapse from heat, thirst, or pressure.
- sag
- Sag describes sinking downward because of weight or age, often for furniture or skin, not for growing plants.
Opposites
Word family
- wilting adjective
- becoming soft and hanging down, as of plants
- wilted adjective
- soft and drooping, especially of vegetables or flowers
Commonly confused: wilt or wilt?
wilt vs wilt
Do not confuse the verb 'wilt' with the old pronoun 'thou wilt', an archaic form of 'you will'.
Practice
The team played well at first but began to ___ after the other side scored twice.
Choose one answer.
After 'began to' we need the base form of the verb, so 'wilt' is correct. 'Wilted' is past tense and cannot follow 'to'; 'wilting' would need a form of 'be' like 'was wilting'; 'wilts' is third person singular and does not fit 'the team began to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wilt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.