wither

¹

[with-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to shrivel; fade; decay.

   The grapes had withered on the vine.

   Synonyms: waste, droop, languish, decline, dry, shrink, wrinkle

2. to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed byaway ).

verb (used with object)

1. to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc..

   The drought withered the buds.

2. to affect harmfully.

   Reputations were withered by the scandal.

3. to abash, as by a scathing glance.

   a look that withered him.

   Synonyms: shame, humiliate

Wither

²

Also With·ers

[with-er]

noun

1. George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

wither

/ ˈwɪðə /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up

2. to fade or waste

   all hope withered away

3. (intr) to decay, decline, or disintegrate

4. (tr) to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality

5. (tr) to abash, esp with a scornful look

6. (tr) to harm or damage

Other Word Forms

• witheredness noun
• witherer noun
• witheringly adverb
• nonwithering adjective
• overwithered adjective
• unwithered adjective
• unwithering adjective
• withered adjective
• withering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wither¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (verb)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wither¹

C14: perhaps variant of _weather (vb); related to German verwittern to decay

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Disney was facing withering pressure on multiple fronts.

From Los Angeles Times

While Rocky moved away and thrived, Roman withered in inadequacy feeling abandoned.

From Los Angeles Times

Martin also spoke, in withering terms, of some of his players with one eye out of Ibrox.

From BBC

Grimm muffed two punts against the 49ers, withering turnovers that could not have come at a worse time for him.

From Los Angeles Times

It was the latest crushing blow to a franchise with a withering track record of losing key players at the most inopportune times.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• atrophy 
• decay 
• deflate 
• deteriorate 
• disintegrate 
• dry 
• fade 
• languish 
• perish 
• shrink 
• shrivel 
• wane 
• wilt