wither

1 of 2

verb

with·​er ˈwi-t͟hər 

withered; withering

ˈwit͟h-riŋ,

ˈwi-t͟hə- 

intransitive verb

1

: to become dry and sapless

especially : to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture

2

: to lose vitality, force, or freshness

public support for the bill is withering

transitive verb

1

: to cause to wither

2

: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun

withered him with a look

—Dorothy Sayers

wither

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British

: withers

Synonyms

Verb

• dry
• fade
• wilt

Examples of wither in a Sentence

Verb

The plants withered and died.

shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Families are left to scavenge while their children wither from hunger. —Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Despite the pedestrian bridges, the section of Mulkey Square north of the cut withered. —Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2025

Sales withered, and by 1998, all civilian outlets had closed, leaving only a handful on U.S. military bases. —Rebecca Takada, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Dull blades leave tears and ragged ends that quickly wither and bleach. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English widren; probably akin to Middle English weder weather

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wither

• cither
• dither
• hither
• ither
• slither
• thither
• whither
• zither

Kids Definition

wither

verb

with·​er

ˈwit͟h-ər

withered; withering

-(ə-)riŋ

1

: to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture and especially sap

the crops withered during the drought

2

: to lose liveliness, force, or freshness

support for the candidate withered

Biographical Definition

Wither

biographical name

With·​er ˈwi-t͟hər 

George 1588–1667 English poet and pamphleteer