hither

American  

[hith-er] / ˈhɪð ər /

adverb

1. to or toward this place.

   to come hither.

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adjective

1. being on this or the closer side; nearer.

   the hither side of the meadow.

idioms

1. hither and thither, in various quarters; here and there.

   They scurried hither and thither to escape the rain.

2. hither and yon, from here to over there, especially to a farther place; in or to a great many places.

   He looked hither and yon for the coin. She went hither and yon in search of an answer.

hither British  

/ ˈhɪðə /

adverb

1. Also (archaic): hitherward.   hitherwards.  to or towards this place (esp in the phrase come hither )

2. this way and that, as in a state of confusion

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adjective

1. archaic (of a side or part, esp of a hill or valley) nearer; closer

Etymology

Origin of hither

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English hider; cognate with Old Norse hethra, Latin citer “on this side”

Explanation

Hither is a fancy or old-fashioned way to say "here." Your grandmother might jokingly call everyone for dinner by saying, "Come hither! Soup's on!" Language experts consider hither to be a "fossil word," one that is still regularly used within various idioms despite being otherwise obsolete. You may find it in the phrases "hither and thither" or "hither and yon," both of which mean "here and there," in the sense of a disorganized or confused movement back and forth. Hither shares a root with its modern relative here.

Example Sentences

Japan has developed a habit of throwing cash hither and yon to no good effect other than to accumulate debt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

When Santos is sworn in on Capitol Hill next week, it will send a Bat-signal across the land: Come hither, crooks and swindlers, con artists and hustlers all.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2022

So Adam fights the Justice folks, hurling them hither and yon and being by them hurled.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2022

His storytelling may leave something to be desired in terms of elegance and economy, but my interest in “Belle,” though frequently dragged hither and yon, never flagged.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2022

But she now shivered beneath the starry mantle, and she looked northward, above the grey hither lands, into the eye of the cold wind where far away the sky was hard and clear.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien