Meaning & use
wilting
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“wilting” is a form of “wilt”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Present participle of 'wilt': becoming soft and hanging down because of heat or lack of water.
Grammar: Used in progressive forms after 'be': 'The plants are wilting.' The base form is 'wilt'.
Patterns
- something is wilting
- plants wilt in something
The lettuce in the fridge is wilting.
By noon the roses were wilting in the sun.
If you forget to water them, the seedlings start wilting.
verbintransitivefigurative
Present participle of 'wilt': losing energy, confidence, or strength gradually.
Grammar: No object; often used of people under pressure or attention: 'She was wilting under the questions.'
Patterns
- someone is wilting under something
- someone wilts in the heat
He was wilting under the constant pressure at work.
The team seemed to be wilting in the final minutes.
She kept smiling, but you could see her wilting.
adjectivebefore a noun
Becoming weak, soft, or drooping, especially of plants or cut flowers.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'wilting flowers'. It describes a state that is still developing.
Patterns
- wilting flowers
- wilting leaves
She threw out the wilting flowers.
The wilting leaves told us the plant needed water.
Word forms
| third person singular | wilts |
|---|---|
| past tense | wilted |
| past participle | wilted |
| -ing form | wilting |
Common combinations
- wilting in the heat
- The whole garden was wilting in the heat.
- start wilting
- Cut flowers start wilting after a few days.
- wilting under pressure
- He was wilting under pressure during the interview.
- wilting flowers
- She replaced the wilting flowers with fresh ones.
Synonyms and how they differ
- drooping
- Focuses on hanging downward, often from weight or tiredness, not necessarily from heat or dryness.
- fading
- Suggests losing color or freshness rather than going limp.
Opposites
Word family
- wilt verb
- The base verb meaning to become limp or lose strength.
Commonly confused: wilting or wielding?
wilting vs wielding
'Wielding' means holding and using a tool or weapon; 'wilting' means going limp or losing strength.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wilting' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Wilting' is an intransitive verb form, so it describes something going limp, as in the flowers. The other options wrongly use it as a transitive verb with an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wilting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.