wilt

IPA/wɪlt/
KK[wˈɪlt]IPA/wɪlt/

wilt — 動詞

  • wiltpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • wiltshe / she / it
  • wiltedpast simple
  • wilting-ing form

1. When a plant or flower becomes weak and bends downward because it does not have

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

枯萎；凋謝

植物因缺水而變得軟弱下垂

When a plant or flower becomes weak and bends downward because it does not have enough water or is too hot, or to cause this to happen.

例句

The tomato plants on the balcony wilted after three days without rain.

陽台上的番茄植株連續三天沒有下雨就枯萎了。

intransitive: plant + wilted + cause/duration

If you forget to water the ivy, it starts to wilt by the next morning.

如果你忘記澆水，長春藤隔天早上就會開始枯萎。

conditional: if + forget to water + wilt

同義詞
  • droop

    more general — can describe leaves, ears, or fabric; implies a downward bend but not necessarily from thirst

  • shrivel

    suggests drying up and wrinkling, not just drooping

反義詞
  • revive

    to bring a wilted plant back to a healthy state with water

  • perk up

    informal; to recover from a drooping state

文法句型

wilt (intransitive, plant subject)

wilt something (transitive, cause to wilt)

用法筆記

Frequently intransitive with a plant as the subject; the transitive use (e.g., 'the sun wilted the flowers') is less common but acceptable.

常見錯誤

❌The flower wilted because of the strong wind blowing.
✅The flower wilted because it had no water for several days.
💡Wilting is primarily caused by lack of water or extreme heat, not by wind.

2. If a person becomes gradually weaker, more tired, or less enthusiastic, especial

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

疲憊；洩氣

人因壓力或炎熱而逐漸失去精力或信心

If a person becomes gradually weaker, more tired, or less enthusiastic, especially in a difficult situation or hot weather.

例句

Bao wilted under the pressure of back-to-back exams and barely slept that week.

Bao 在接連不斷的考試壓力下疲憊不堪，那週幾乎沒睡。

Even the most confident speakers can wilt when the audience stares back in silence.

即使最有自信的演講者，當觀眾沉默地盯著他看時，也可能會感到氣餒。

metaphorical use: confidence + can wilt + condition

同義詞
  • flag

    more formal; suggests losing energy or strength gradually

  • languish

    stronger, more literary; implies failing to thrive over a longer period

反義詞
  • rally

    to recover energy or confidence suddenly

  • thrive

    to do well and stay energetic in a situation

文法句型

wilt (person subject)

用法筆記

Often used metaphorically to describe a gradual loss of confidence, energy, or willpower under sustained pressure or heat. Unlike sense 1, this sense is always intransitive.

3. To cook leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, or salad greens in a hot pan or pot

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

炒軟；燜軟

短時間加熱葉菜使其變軟

To cook leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, or salad greens in a hot pan or pot just until they soften and shrink, or for the leaves to become soft in this way — usually taking less than a minute.

例句

Reuben wilted the spinach in a hot pan with garlic and olive oil.

Reuben 在熱鍋中用大蒜和橄欖油將菠菜快速炒軟。

transitive: cook + wilt + vegetable + pan + oil

Add the fresh kale and let it wilt for about two minutes before serving.

加入新鮮羽衣甘藍，讓它軟化約兩分鐘後再上桌。

cooking instruction: let + vegetable + wilt + time

同義詞
  • steam lightly

    different method — uses steam rather than direct pan heat

  • sauté briefly

    overlapping but sautéeing usually implies browning; wilting does not

文法句型

wilt something (transitive, cook)

wilt (intransitive, vegetable subject)

用法筆記

Common in UK and US recipe writing. The intransitive use describes greens that soften on contact with heat (e.g., 'the spinach wilted in the pan'). The cook is the subject in the transitive use.

常見錯誤

❌Wilt the spinach for ten minutes until it is fully cooked.
✅Wilt the spinach for one or two minutes until it is just soft.
💡Wilting is very brief; ten minutes would overcook and ruin the greens.

4. An old form of 'will' used only with 'thou' (meaning 'you', one person) in histo

4.動詞C2
釋義

（古語）你將

古英語thou後接的will形式

An old form of 'will' used only with 'thou' (meaning 'you', one person) in historical or religious English.

例句

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.

堅心倚賴你的，你必保守他十分平安。

archaic grammar: thou + wilt + verb

If thou wilt walk in my ways, I will bless thy family for generations.

你若遵行我的道，我必賜福給你的家族，直到世世代代。

conditional: if + thou + wilt + verb

文法句型

thou wilt + base verb

用法筆記

This form is not used in modern English outside of biblical quotations, historical fiction, or deliberate poetic/liturgical style. The modern equivalent is 'you will'.

常見錯誤

❌Thou wilt come to the party tomorrow?' (in modern speech)
✅Will you come to the party tomorrow?
💡'Thou wilt' is archaic; use 'you will' in everyday English.

wilt — 名詞