萎 means “wilt, wither, droop”

なえる · naeru

Also: lame

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

な, しおれる, しなびる, しぼむ, なえる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

イ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

Grass (艹) over 委, grain (禾) bowed over a woman (女): picture plants drooping in the heat. 萎れる is how flowers wilt, 萎縮 is shrinking back in fear, and young people say 萎える when something kills the mood.

Used in 萎える (naeru, to go limp; lose heart), 萎縮 (ishuku, shrinking; being cowed), and 萎れる (shioreru, to wilt)

More from Trees & Blossoms

• 藤 wisteria
• 松 pine
• 芝 lawn
• 杉 Japanese cedar
• 柳 willow
• 梅 Japanese plum
• 菊 chrysanthemum
• 梨 pear
• 葛 kudzu
• 桑 mulberry
• 柿 persimmon
• 桃 peach

Learn 萎 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.