How to say "wilt" in Japanese

• しぼむJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, intransitive verbCovers wilting as shrinking or losing puffiness — flowers drooping, but also things deflating, shriveling, or collapsing, including abstract hopes and plans losing vitality.
  花はなは切きられるとすぐにしぼむ。↗

  Flowers soon fade when they have been cut.
• しおれるCommon
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbThe most direct word for plants and flowers wilting from lack of water or age, losing freshness and drooping; by extension it can describe something fading or losing its liveliness.
  その植物しょくぶつは水みずがなかったのでしおれた。↗

  The plants withered because they had no water.
• 萎えるなえるCommon
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbDescribes wilting or drooping as a loss of strength and vigor rather than simple drying; less often the first word you reach for than しぼむ or しおれる, and typically conveys weakened, listless wilting.

Use 「しぼむ」 or 「しおれる」 for flowers and plants losing firmness, with 「しおれる」 the classic choice for wilting; 「しぼむ」 also covers deflating or shriveling, and なえる suggests weakening droopiness.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• しぼむto wither (of flowers, dreams, etc.)
• しおれるto wither
• しなびるto shrivel (e.g. cut vegetables, skin)
• 萎えるなえるto wither