whither

[ hwith -er, with - ]

/ ˈʰwɪð ər, ˈwɪð- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whither ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

to what place? where?

to what end, point, action, or the like? to what?

conjunction

to which place.

to whatever place.

RELATED WORDS

where

Nearby words

whitewater rafting, whitewing, whitewood, whitey, whitgift, whither, whither thou goest, i will go, whithersoever, whitherward, whiting, whitish

Origin of whither

before 900; Middle English, variant of Middle English, Old English hwider, alteration of hwæder (cognate with Gothic hwadre), modeled on hider hither

Can be confusedhence hither thence thither whence whither yon (see usage note at whence)weather whether whither wither (see synonym study at wither)whither wither

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whither

Death and the awful abode of lost souls, whither my weakness long ago had sent him, had changed him for every other eye but mine.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So is it unseemly to therefore flip it back to the Dems and ask, “Whither go the bros?”
Do Democrats Care About Men?|Justin Green|October 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Nevertheless, it is no exaggeration to say that whither Rafsanjani goes, so goes the future of Iran.
Friday Surprise in Iran?|Reza Aslan|July 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Fly I must; whither, it is pretty certain, will never come to your knowledge.
Jane Talbot|Charles Brockden Brown

"Certainly I will," said Margaret with spirit, and without seeing at first whither this admission would lead her.
The Rebellion of Margaret|Geraldine Mockler
No, if the heavens give no signs she has none, she cannot tell where she is or whither she is going.
The Wesleyan Methodist Pulpit in Malvern|Knowles King
Morise closes her eyes and plunges into the burning furnace, whither her husband is thrown immediately after her.
The Iron Pincers|Eugne Sue
So overwhelmed was he by rage and astonishment that it was some minutes ere he could remember where he was or whither he would go.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)|Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for whither

whither

/ (ˈwɪðə) archaic, or poetic /

adverb

to what place?

to what end or purpose?

conjunction

to whatever place, purpose, etc

Word Origin for whither

Old English hwider, hwæder; related to Gothic hvadrē; modern English form influenced by hither

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

Word Origin and History for whither

whither

adv.

Old English hwider, from Proto-Germanic *khwi- "who" (see who) + -der as in hither and thither. Cf. Gothic hvadre.