hither

[ hith-er ]

/ ˈhɪð ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for hither on Thesaurus.com

adverb

to or toward this place: to come hither.

adjective

being on this or the closer side; nearer: the hither side of the meadow.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about hither

hither and thither, in various quarters; here and there: They scurried hither and thither to escape the rain.

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.

Origin of hither

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH hither

hence, hither , thence, thither, whence, whither, yon

Words nearby hither

Hitchings, hitch one's wagon to a star, Hitch your wagon to a star, hi-tech, HI test, hither, hither and thither, hithermost, hitherto, hitherward, hit it big

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hither in a sentence

Petroleum would become increasingly valuable, the article continued, “as a source of substances for which man has hither-to been dependent upon the chance bounty of nature.”
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price|Carolyn Wilke|January 28, 2022|Science News
She definitely had a sweetness in her features — a kind of innocent sweetness, not a come-hither sweetness at all … She still looked great.
For model and actress Audrey Munson, a long and tragic final chapter|John Kelly|January 13, 2021|Washington Post
Behind the counter is the pit, perfuming the room (and your clothes) with the swirling, come-hither scent of beef and smoke.
The Texas Church of Beef|Jane & Michael Stern|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sexxx Dreams” has all the come-hither appeal of a sultry Janet Jackson track without any of the erotic mysticism.
‘ARTPOP’ Review: Lady Gaga’s Album Wants to Be Everything, But Is Nothing at All|Kevin Fallon|November 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Boxy flannel and messy tears might as well have been a corset and a come-hither pout in The Perfect Storm.
Is Diane Lane Too Sexy for Hillary?|Anna Brand|July 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Though the photos are far from sexual, Lottie wears thick mascara as she flashes the camera a come-hither stare.
Meet Lottie Moss, Kate Moss's 13-Year-Old Sister and Future Model|Isabel Wilkinson|November 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Hugh puffed, his hair flopping hither and thither as the photographers hosed him down.
Why We Adore Liz Hurley's Love Life|Tom Sykes|April 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Hither does every soul in the place, at some hour or other of the day, inevitably gravitate.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She was a woman, and in truth she would have married the man beside her had he have come hither when he had gone to Chicago.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
But draw near hither, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Go, young man, and tell the tree to come hither, and the tree will obey you when you show it my seal.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
A womans heart is not made of grains of sand to be blown hither and thither by a mans breath, she said very earnestly.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater

British Dictionary definitions for hither

hither

/ (ˈhɪðə) /

adverb

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

hither and thither this way and that, as in a state of confusion

adjective

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

Word Origin for hither

Old English hider; related to Old Norse hethra here, Gothic hidrē, Latin citrā on this side, citrō

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hither

Idioms about hither

Origin of hither

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH hither

Words nearby hither

Words related to hither

How to use hither in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hither

Word Origin for hither