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
• 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

Against withering attacks from the two-party system, No Labels built the infrastructure and secured the ballot access necessary to launch such a ticket. —L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024

Israel has faced withering criticism in recent months for its attacks in Gaza, but the trip reinforced their view that Israel has a right to actively defend itself against threats. —Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024

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

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