wilted

verb

past tense of wilt
1
as in drooped
to be limp from lack of water or vigor the plants wilted after I forgot to water them for three whole days

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2
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor she had wilted a bit after walking around the hot and humid city

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dried
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wilted Last season’s experienced and highly touted offensive line wilted against the nation’s best. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 Cook 2 large shallots, thinly sliced into rings, and ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until shallots are wilted and most are golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026 For some greens, stir in two big handfuls of spinach with the tomato sauce and cook until wilted. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 How much water hydrangeas actually need varies depending on the species and your soil type; however, plants that look wilted or drooping may be asking for a drink. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 28 July 2026 Leaves may look wilted or droopy during excessive heat due to temporary heat stress, particularly midday. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 July 2026 The temperature that day had reached 99 degrees and the city had wilted, but the downpour caused the mercury to plummet a good 10 degrees. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Unfortunately, daytime watering offers little to plants beyond minor temperature regulation and perhaps emergency rescue when especially wilted. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026 Meanwhile, if the dark green tips or outer stems are wilted, simply remove them. — Martha Stewart, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilted
  1. drooped
  2. faded
  3. dried
  4. hung
  5. weakened
  6. withered
  7. sagged
Verb
  • The man raised his arms to a figure in the branches, a woman whose head drooped, hair loose, wet, falling forward across her face, her breasts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • The chickens stomp with swift feet like an Irish step dancer, keeping their tails erect and wings drooped.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of drooped
Verb
  • Their content together, appearances, red carpet moments, casual clips of them out in Los Angeles, has kept fans invested in their story past the finale, extending the shelf life of a couple that could otherwise have faded once the season ended.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The next major episode of persistent trade imbalances was the rare case in which the imbalances faded away without causing major disruption.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded
Verb
  • Pieces must be shaped, dried, fired, glazed, fired again and tested; Przenioslo uses a community kiln and gives herself at least two months to prepare a collection.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Those pellets were then placed into moulds and dried, allowing the fungal threads to come together and form a continuous sheet.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dried
Verb
  • But as the silence hung above them, for the first time Evie felt a strangeness in him.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • An aerial performer hung upside down from the ceiling while pouring Malört shots.
    — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of hung
Verb
  • Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.
    — Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • As Florida’s winter dry season stretched into a near rainless wet season, the central Everglades has withered into extreme drought conditions.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Fruits—except for rose hips, withered wild grapes and perhaps a few others—are pretty much gone.
    — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of withered
Verb
  • The alarm cut off, and the blond sagged against the open door.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Officers quickly converged to help subdue the teen, with Merks pulling the gun from the backside of his jeans, which had sagged below his mid-thigh.
    — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sagged

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wilt
wilted
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Cite this Entry

“Wilted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilted. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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