しおれる

し

お

れ

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

しおれる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	しおれる	しおれない
Polite	しおれます	しおれません
Past polite	しおれました	しおれませんでした
Past	しおれた	しおれなかった
Te-form	しおれて	しおれないで
Desire	しおれたい	しおれたくない
Potential	しおれられるalso しおれれる	しおれられないalso しおれれない
Passive	しおれられる	しおれられない
Causative	しおれさせる	しおれさせない
Causative passive	しおれさせられる	しおれさせられない
Volitional	しおれよう
Polite volitional	しおれましょう
Imperative	しおれろ	しおれるな
Conditional	しおれれば	しおれなければ
Tara conditional	しおれたら	しおれなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

wilt; wither; droop; fade

usually written using kana alone

Intransitive verb for plants, flowers, leaves, and similar things losing freshness, moisture, color, or uprightness.

花か瓶びんの花はながしおれてきた。
The flowers in the vase have started to wilt.
暑あつさで葉はがしおれている。
The leaves are drooping from the heat.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be dejected; be disheartened; be crestfallen

usually written using kana alone

Figurative intransitive use for a person losing spirit or visibly becoming downhearted.

試し合あいに負まけて、彼かれはすっかりしおれていた。
After losing the match, he was completely crestfallen.
先せん生せいに注ちゅう意いされて、子こどもたちはしおれてしまった。
After being warned by the teacher, the children became dejected.

See all 23 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈花はな〉が萎しおれるfor a flower (or plant) to wilt
水みずをやり忘わすれたら、花はながすっかり萎しおれてしまった。
I forgot to water the flowers, and they completely wilted.
すっかり萎しおれるto wilt/become completely dejected
彼かれは試し験けんに落おちてすっかり萎しおれてしまった。
He was completely crestfallen after failing the exam.
しおれた声こえで〈動どう詞し〉to do something in a dejected, dispirited voice
彼かの女じょはしおれた声こえで「ごめんなさい」と言いった。
She said 'I'm sorry' in a dejected voice.

Kanji

萎wither, droop, lame
凋wither, droop, lame
悄anxiety

Related words· 6

枯かれるN3sense 1
枯れる means a plant has dried up or died completely, while 萎れる describes an earlier, softer stage of losing freshness and drooping.
うなだれる sense 2
うなだれる describes the physical act of hanging one's head, while 萎れる more broadly describes a person's whole demeanor turning downcast.
しなびるN1sense 1
しなびる emphasizes shriveling and losing moisture through age or drying, while 萎れる focuses on drooping and losing an upright, fresh appearance.
落おち込こむN2sense 2
落ち込む is the plain, common word for feeling down, whereas 萎れる is a more image-based, literary expression comparing the person to a wilting plant.

Show 2 more

がっかりN4sense 2
がっかりする centers on disappointment as the cause, while 萎れる describes the visible dispirited appearance that can result from it.
しぼむN2
萎れる often describes a plant wilting with a visibly drooping, sad appearance, while 萎む focuses on losing fullness or volume, as in deflating.

Don't confuse with

萎なえる
萎える typically describes limbs losing strength or one's motivation collapsing, while 萎れる is about plants losing freshness or a person visibly becoming dejected.

Word family

打うち萎しおれる
droop; wilt; be dejected

Written forms

しおれるUsage71%
Both senses are usually written in kana; this is the safest everyday spelling.
萎しおれるUsage27%
Standard kanji spelling, especially understandable for wilting or losing vitality, but kana is often preferred in ordinary writing.
凋しおれるUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; mainly useful for looking up rare or nonstandard spellings related to withering.
悄しおれるUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; mainly useful for looking up rare or nonstandard spellings related to being dejected.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 萎 is conventionally associated with wilting or losing vitality, but the word is commonly written in kana.