thither
Americanadverb
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of thither
First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of Middle English thider, Old English, alteration of thæder(i) ( i from hider hither ); akin to Old Norse thathra “there,” Gothic thathro “thence,” Sanskrit tátra “there, thither”
Explanation
Use the word thither when you need a colorful way to say "over there." For example, you might point across the street and say, "Let's go thither, to the ice cream shop." It's too bad this adverb has fallen from fashion because it is so much fun (for native speakers, anyway) to pronounce. Thither means, in essence, "to that place," although these days its territory is pretty much taken over by there, just as its companions hither and whither have been replaced by here and where. The original version of thither was the Germanic thæder, and it's related to other th words like that and the.
Vocabulary lists containing thither
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Julius Caesar
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Much Ado About Nothing
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For years, as an early-warning alert system, the county agricultural people had been hanging Medfly traps hither and thither among our pretty, fructiferous trees — little A-frame-shaped cardboard doohickeys with a dab of fly attractant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2024
With the improvement of means of communication, transportation gradually lost its penal character, while the injury done to the country by the exile of criminals thither is annually increasing.
From New York Times ● May 21, 2024
The humor is sporadic, hinging mostly on slapstick-style depictions of body parts being flung hither and thither.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
Or is it not your glory that we should be taken out thither fatter of flesh?
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2019
Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
