Showing results for "withering"

• present participle of wither.

withering

American  

[with-er-ing] / ˈwɪð ər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. scathing; deeply humiliating; contemptuous.

2. causing harm or loss of vitality; damaging.

3. (of plants) wilting or shriveling up, such as from disease or lack of moisture.

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Explanation

Withering is the process of becoming weaker. You can watch the withering of a flower bouquet in water — over the days and weeks, the blossoms become droopy and faded. You might talk about the withering of trees in a drought or the withering of people's bank accounts during an economic recession. Withering can also be used as an adjective, to describe something with a terrible, destructive strength, like a withering hurricane. It comes from the verb wither, to dry up or shrivel, from the Old English word wydderen, which is a variation on wederen, "to expose to the weather."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

withering

The resin-coated pieces highlight all the natural beauty of a Gerbera daisy or a Stargazer lily, without the wilting and withering.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Germany, along with much of Europe, has seen record-breaking temperatures this summer along with limited rainfall, sending river levels down and withering swathes of countryside.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

All three organisations, in their own way, offered a withering assessment of how Fifa is being run under Infantino.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Disney insiders have questioned for years whether it would make sense to get rid of television networks that are withering because of cord-cutting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

I notice nothing unusual but a few rose petals withering on her dressing table.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black