wilt
/wɪlt/verb, noun
wilt is spelled W-I-L-T: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, wilt means “To droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in wilt?
| Letters | 4: W-I-L-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is wilt?
Wilt appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce wilt?
- /wɪlt/
Wilt has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-wilt.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of wilt
- wilts present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- wilting participle, present
- wilted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does wilt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower).
- 2
To fatigue; to lose strength; to flag.
- 3
To cause to droop or become limp and flaccid (as a flower).
- 4
To cause to fatigue; to exhaust.
noun
- 1
The act of wilting or the state of being wilted.
- 2
Any of various plant diseases characterized by wilting.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Wilt in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | flétrir, se flétrir, faner, se faner , se fatiguer, s'épuiser |
| German | welken, verwelken , schlappmachen, ermüden, erschlaffen |
| Portuguese | murchar |
| Spanish | marchitarse, ajarse , marchitar, ajar, ahajar (disused) , marchitamiento |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does wilt come from?
Recorded since 1691, probably an alteration of welk, itself from Middle English welken, presumed from Middle Dutch (preserved in modern inchoative verwelken) or Middle Low German welken (“to wither”), cognate with Old High German irwelhen (“to become soft”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).