withered; withering
ˈwit͟h-riŋ,
ˈwi-t͟hə-
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
1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
withered him with a look—
Dorothy Sayers
Dorothy SayersSynonyms
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 WebMichael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Flowers can wither rather quickly once cut, especially if the weather and cutting conditions aren’t ideal.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Most of these have so far failed to make it to the screen and withered in development purgatory.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Yet Pixar no longer reliably churns out hits, legendary properties like Star Wars have withered on the vine, and even the once indestructible MCU suffered its lowest box office ever in The Marvels when adjusted for inflation.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
The Recession showcased a stoic Jeezy covered in a flag, looking both sheltered and withered by his home country.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The show favors mild bemusement over withering satire or heavy judgment.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024
Asked whether the title race was already over, Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel produced a withering response after seeing his side beaten for the fifth time in the league this season.
—Ben Church, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Last week, Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, came under withering criticism by National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy over the missing work records on the Alaska jet.
—Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
The judge’s opinion of that argument was withering.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Flowers can wither rather quickly once cut, especially if the weather and cutting conditions aren’t ideal.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Most of these have so far failed to make it to the screen and withered in development purgatory.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Yet Pixar no longer reliably churns out hits, legendary properties like Star Wars have withered on the vine, and even the once indestructible MCU suffered its lowest box office ever in The Marvels when adjusted for inflation.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
The Recession showcased a stoic Jeezy covered in a flag, looking both sheltered and withered by his home country.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The show favors mild bemusement over withering satire or heavy judgment.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024
Asked whether the title race was already over, Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel produced a withering response after seeing his side beaten for the fifth time in the league this season.
—Ben Church, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Last week, Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, came under withering criticism by National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy over the missing work records on the Alaska jet.
—Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wither.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wither
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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