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 L. Sayers

wither

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British

: withers

Synonyms of wither

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

Each side drew a yellow card, and four players withered on the ground in the 83rd minute after an Australian push into the box led to Bos’ slow-rolling shot that was saved. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 June 2026

The legislation was first introduced in 2023 but withered in the House. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 25 June 2026

Among the other Paris attractions to close amid the withering heat are Notre-Dame de Paris, which closed its towers earlier this week, and the Palais de Tokyo, which has shuttered its exhibitions entirely from June 22 through June 27. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 June 2026

After a few days of forgetting to water a container, the soil can become hard, and the plant begins to wither. — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 23 June 2026

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