wilt
C1Formal, Literary, Horticultural
Definition
Meaning
To droop, weaken, or lose freshness, typically due to heat, lack of water, or vitality.
To lose energy, confidence, or resolve; to fade or decline. In gardening/plant pathology, a plant disease causing such drooping.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an intransitive verb for plants losing turgor, but can be transitive (e.g., 'The heat wilted the flowers') or figurative for human energy/spirit.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major syntactic differences. Slightly more common in British horticultural writing.
Connotations
Similar in both. Figurative use ('wilt under pressure') has a slightly old-fashioned or literary tone.
Frequency
Low-frequency in everyday speech outside gardening contexts; slightly higher in UK due to gardening culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP ____ (intransitive)NP ____ NP (transitive)____ under NP (figurative)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wilt under the spotlight”
- “wilt under scrutiny”
- “wilt in the heat”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly metaphorical: 'Sales began to wilt in the third quarter.'
Academic
Used in botany, plant physiology, and environmental science texts.
Everyday
Most common in gardening contexts or describing tiredness/heat effects.
Technical
Specific use for plant diseases (e.g., 'Fusarium wilt', 'bacterial wilt').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The basil will wilt if you don't water it.
- He began to wilt under the barrister's cross-examination.
- Cut flowers wilt rapidly without fresh water.
American English
- The lettuce wilted in the summer heat.
- She didn't wilt under pressure during the final interview.
- The team's defense wilted in the fourth quarter.
adverb
British English
- Rare/obsolete. Not used in modern English.
American English
- Rare/obsolete. Not used in modern English.
adjective
British English
- Serve the salad immediately, before it gets wilted.
- He picked up the wilted bouquet from the table.
American English
- She tossed out the wilted spinach.
- A few wilted balloons remained after the party.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The plant is wilting. It needs water.
- Flowers wilt without sun.
- The vegetables wilted in the hot car.
- I could see him wilt when he heard the bad news.
- The delicate herbs wilt rapidly after harvesting.
- Her enthusiasm began to wilt after several rejections.
- The opposition's resolve wilted under the sustained media attack.
- Certain cultivars have been developed to resist wilting in drought conditions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a WILTed flower looking like it's lost its WILL to live.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOSS OF VITALITY IS DROOPING (A person's confidence wilts like a flower).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'wilt' (увядать) и 'weld' (сваривать металл).
- Не всегда соответствует 'завянуть' — может означать ослабление без смерти (устать, спасовать).
- Прямой перевод 'вилт' не существует, это ложный друг переводчика.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The flower was wilted by the vase.' (Use 'in the vase').
- Overuse in figurative contexts where 'falter' or 'waver' is more natural for people.
- Confusion with past tense 'wilted' and adjective 'wilted'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'wilt' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its primary meaning is botanical, it is commonly used figuratively for people losing energy, courage, or resolve.
'Wilt' often implies a temporary or initial stage of drooping due to lack of water/heat. 'Wither' suggests a more permanent, dried-up, and shrivelled state, often leading to death. 'Wither' is also more common in figurative use for decline.
Yes. e.g., 'The midday sun wilted the runners.' (The sun caused them to wilt).
It is a medium-to-low frequency word. It is common in gardening and specific contexts but not in core everyday vocabulary for all speakers.