vissnar

Vissnar is a Swedish verb form meaning to wither, to fade, or to lose vitality. It is the present tense, third-person singular form of the verb vissna. The term is commonly used to describe processes where life, color, or enthusiasm diminishes, such as plants drying out, colors fading in the sun, or memories and interest waning over time.

Conjugation and forms: The base verb is vissna. Its present indicative form is vissnar (he/she/it withers). The past simple is vissnade, and the supine or past participle is vissnat. In compound tenses, the verb is used with helpers, for example har vissnat (has withered) or hade vissnat (had withered).

Usage and nuance: Vissnar is most often applied to natural life, such as flora and crops, but it can also describe non-living processes or abstractions that lose vitality. Examples include: Blommorna vissnar i värmen (The flowers wither in the heat). Intresset vissnar när projektet inte får stöd (Interest withers when the project lacks support). Färgerna vissnar efter lång exponering för solljus (Colors fade after long exposure to sunlight). The term conveys a gradual decline rather than a sudden collapse.

Etymology and related forms: Vissna belongs to the Germanic language family and has cognates in Danish visne and Norwegian visne. Vissnar is the standard present-tense form used in ordinary Swedish prose and conversation.

See also: vissna, vissnat, visning (note: visning is unrelated; keep distinct from vissna-based forms).