Synonyms for

Wilt

Verb / wɪlt / Another word for wilt — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

to become limp and drooping, typically due to heat or lack of water

Synonyms & similar words

droop wilting wiltdisease droop sag flag fade wither shrivel decay decline deteriorate degenerate crumple collapse flop slump flump languish fail faint weaken

Synonyms by register

Formal

droop flag weaken fade

Informal

sag slump go limp

Literary

languish wither

Antonyms

flourish thrive grow prosper bloom revive strengthen

Common collocations

  • wilt and fade
  • wilt under pressure
  • wilt in the heat
  • wilt from lack of water
  • wilt on the vine
  • wilt away
  • wilt down

Word family

verb wilt
adjective wilted

Usage note

Primarily used for plants, but can be used metaphorically for people or things losing strength or vitality. Avoid using for inanimate objects unless personifying them.

Example sentences

  1. The lettuce will wilt if you leave it in the sun too long.
  2. The flowers wilted in the hot summer sun.
  3. The old man's strength began to wilt as he grew older.
  4. The team's spirits wilted after they lost the game.
  5. The heat made the ice cream cone start to wilt.

Quotes

  • The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days. - Robert Leighton
  • I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree. - Joyce Kilmer
  • I will not be 'famous,' 'great.' I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one's self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded. - Virginia Woolf

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