v. wilt·ed, wilt·ing, wilts v.intr. 1. To become limp or flaccid; droop: plants wilting in the heat. 2. To feel or exhibit the effects of fatigue or exhaustion; weaken markedly: "His brain wilted from hitherto unprecedented weariness" (Vladimir Nabokov). v.tr. 1. To cause to droop or lose freshness: The heat wilted the flowers. 2. To deprive of energy or vigor; fatigue or exhaust: Worry wilted the parents. n. 1. The action of wilting or the state of being wilted. 2. Any of various plant diseases characterized by slow or rapid collapse of terminal shoots, branches, or entire plants. [Possibly alteration of dialectal welk, from Middle English welken.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.