Word Study
wilt
CIDE DICTIONARY
wilt, 2d pers. sing.
wilt, v. i. [Written also welt, a modification of welk.].
To begin to wither; to lose freshness and become flaccid, as a plant when exposed when exposed to drought, or to great heat in a dry day, or when separated from its root; to droop;. to wither. [1913 Webster]
wilt, v. t.
- To cause to begin to wither; to make flaccid, as a green plant. [1913 Webster]
- Hence, to cause to languish; to depress or destroy the vigor and energy of. [1913 Webster]"Despots have wilted the human race into sloth and imbecility." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
wilt, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. (of a plant, leaf, or flower) wither, droop.
2 intr. (of a person) lose one's energy, flag, tire, droop.
3 tr. cause to wilt.
--n. a plant-disease causing wilting.
--v.
1 intr. (of a plant, leaf, or flower) wither, droop.
2 intr. (of a person) lose one's energy, flag, tire, droop.
3 tr. cause to wilt.
--n. a plant-disease causing wilting.
wilt, archaic 2nd person sing. of WILL(1).
THESAURUS
wilt
beat, blow, break, break down, burn out, cave in, collapse, come apart, come unstuck, conk out, crack up, crumble, debilitate, decline, desiccate, diminish, disintegrate, do in, do up, droop, drop, dry up, dwindle, enervate, exhaust, exude, fade, fade away, fag, fag out, fail, faint, fatigue, fizzle out, flag, frazzle, gasp, get tired, give out, give way, go downhill, go soft, go to pieces, grow weary, harass, hit the skids, jade, knock out, knock up, languish, lose strength, mummify, mummy, overfatigue, overstrain, overtire, overweary, pant, peak, peg out, perspire, peter out, pine, play out, poop, poop out, prostrate, puff, puff and blow, run down, run out, sag, sear, shrink, shrivel, sink, succumb, swag, sweat, swelter, tire, tire out, tire to death, tucker, use up, waste, waste away, weaken, wear, wear away, wear down, wear on, wear out, wear thin, weary, welter, wheeze, wind, wither, wither away, wizen, yieldFor further exploring for "wilt" in Webster Dictionary Online