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• wither
  wither

  verb (used without object)

  to shrivel; fade; decay.
• Wither
  Wither

  noun

  George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

wither

¹ American  

[with-er] / ˈwɪð ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to shrivel; fade; decay.

   The grapes had withered on the vine.

   Synonyms:

   waste, droop, languish, decline, dry, shrink, wrinkle

2. to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed byaway ).

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verb (used with object)

1. to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc..

   The drought withered the buds.

2. to affect harmfully.

   Reputations were withered by the scandal.

3. to abash, as by a scathing glance.

   a look that withered him.

   Synonyms:

   shame, humiliate

Wither ² American  

[with-er] / ˈwɪð ər /

Also Withers

noun

1. George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

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wither British  

/ ˈwɪðə /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up

2. to fade or waste

   all hope withered away

3. (intr) to decay, decline, or disintegrate

4. (tr) to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality

5. (tr) to abash, esp with a scornful look

6. (tr) to harm or damage

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Related Words

Wither, shrivel imply a shrinking, wilting, and wrinkling. Wither (of plants and flowers) is to dry up, shrink, wilt, fade, whether as a natural process or as the result of exposure to excessive heat or drought: Plants withered in the hot sun. Shrivel, used of thin, flat objects and substances, such as leaves, the skin, etc., means to curl, roll up, become wrinkled: The leaves shrivel in cold weather. Paper shrivels in fire.

Other Word Forms

• nonwithering
  adjective
• overwithered
  adjective
• unwithered
  adjective
• unwithering
  adjective
• withered
  adjective
• witheredness
  noun
• witherer
  noun
• withering
  adjective
• witheringly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wither

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (verb)

Explanation

Wither means to shrivel up or shrink. If you forget to water your plants for six weeks, they'll wither — they'll dry up and you probably won't be able to bring them back to life. Wither comes from the Middle English word wydderen, meaning "dry up, shrivel." In addition to shrinking, the verb wither can also refer to losing vitality and fading away, like people who wither as they age. They slowly lose their physical stamina and grow feeble. People also start to physically shrink at a certain age. In that way, they wither in both senses. Not only do they wither by losing their youth, they also wither by shrinking.

Example Sentences

“If Uri Geller is disappointed by getting his predictions wrong,” writes Andy, “maybe he’ll cheer himself up with a drink at a Wither Spoons.”

From The Guardian • Dec. 4, 2021

Wither went on to write for another 25 years.

From Washington Post • Sep. 7, 2016

Related: Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume review – instils fear and wonder And yet, possible though it may be to subsist as an artist in Ireland, it is extremely rare.

From The Guardian • Mar. 13, 2016

Acentia of Falls Church appointed Cherri Harris director of business development for the science and education sector and Victor Wither senior proposal manager.

From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2012

Mrs. Wither for her part had run out of the house as quickly as she could.

From The Truants by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)

Related Words

• atrophy
• decay
• deflate
• deteriorate
• disintegrate
• dry
• fade
• languish
• perish
• shrink
• shrivel
• wane
• wilt