What does wilted mean?
Wilted is an adjective and a verb form describing a loss of firmness, freshness, or vitality. As an adjective, it commonly refers to plants whose stems or leaves have become limp, often because they have not received enough water. It can also describe food, flowers, or other organic material that has lost its fresh, supported appearance. As the past tense and past participle of wilt, it describes the process of becoming limp or declining: flowers wilted in the heat, or a team's confidence wilted after repeated setbacks. The word can therefore move naturally from literal botanical description into figurative language about deteriorating energy or condition. Wilted and withered overlap, but wilt usually emphasizes drooping or loss of rigidity, whereas withered more often emphasizes drying and shrivelling. Wilted is a familiar, flexible word that precisely conveys diminished vitality without requiring the more dramatic implication of complete decay.
Having lost firmness or freshness and become limp or drooping, especially through lack of water.
"A gardener gathered the wilted leaves that had fallen around the dry soil."
The adjective can also be used figuratively for people, objects, or abstract things that appear to have lost vitality or freshness.
The past tense and past participle of wilt, meaning to become limp, droop, or lose vitality.
"The seedlings wilted during the week-long heatwave."
This form functions as a finite past-tense verb or as a participle in constructions such as 'has wilted.'
Wilted describes more than plants: it captures the visible loss of vitality in a leaf, a flower, or even a person's expression.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wilted come from?
Wilted is the standard English past tense and past participle of wilt, a verb with Germanic roots that developed through older English forms associated with becoming limp, dry, or less vigorous. The modern word is closely associated semantically with wither, although wilt and wither are distinct verbs with separate historical developments.
Related word forms
How wilted is actually used
Wilted is neutral in register and is common in both British and American English. In figurative use, it suggests a loss of vitality, energy, or freshness.
Easily confused with wilted
Wilted usually describes something that has become limp or drooping, while withered more specifically suggests drying, shrinking, or shrivelling, often after substantial loss of moisture.