wilt

/wɪlt/

/wɪlt/

Other forms: wilted; wilts; wilting

When things droop from heat, lack of water, or illness, they wilt. If you go on vacation for two weeks and forget to water your plants first, they will wilt.

The vegetables in your garden will wilt if they're attacked by slugs or don't get enough moisture — and people can be said to wilt too, especially when they're limp and weak from exhaustion. A long walk on the hottest day of summer can make you wilt. Wilt was most likely first spelled welk, from the Middle Dutch word welken, "to wither or become soft."

Definitions of wilt

1. verb

   become limp
   “The flowers wilted”

   synonyms: droop

   type of:

   crumble, decay, dilapidate

   fall into decay or ruin
2. verb

   lose strength
   “My opponent was wilting”

   type of:

   weaken

   become weaker
3. noun

   any plant disease characterized by drooping and shriveling; usually caused by parasites attacking the roots
   synonyms: wilt disease

   types:

   granville wilt

   a bacterial wilt of tobacco plants

   fusarium wilt

   wilt caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium

   verticilliosis

   wilt caused by fungi of the genus Verticillium

   type of:

   plant disease

   a disease that affects plants
4. noun

   causing to become limp or drooping
   synonyms: wilting

   type of:

   weakening

   the act of reducing the strength of something