wither
[ with-er ]
/ ˈwɪð ər /
verb (used without object)
to shrivel; fade; decay: The grapes had withered on the vine.
to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed by away).
verb (used with object)
to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc.: The drought withered the buds.
to affect harmfully: Reputations were withered by the scandal.
to abash, as by a scathing glance: a look that withered him.
QUIZZES
Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?
Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!
Question 1 of 11
“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.
Origin of wither
1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (v.)
SYNONYMS FOR wither
1 wrinkle, shrink, dry, decline, languish, droop, waste. 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.
5 humiliate, shame.
OTHER WORDS FROM wither
Words nearby wither
withdrawing room, withdrawn, withdrew, withe, withe rod, wither, wither on the vine, witherite, withers, withershins, witherspoon
Definition for wither (2 of 2)
Wither
[ with -er ]
/ ˈwɪð ər /
noun
George,1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.
Also With·ers [with -erz] /ˈwɪð ərz/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for wither
British Dictionary definitions for wither
wither
/ (ˈwɪðə) /
verb
(intr) (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up
(intr often foll by away) to fade or wasteall hope withered away
(intr) to decay, decline, or disintegrate
(tr) to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality
(tr) to abash, esp with a scornful look
(tr) to harm or damage
Derived forms of wither
withered, adjectivewitherer, nounwithering, adjectivewitheringly, adverbWord Origin for wither
C14: perhaps variant of weather (vb); related to German verwittern to decay
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