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

Sarah Dorsey, a parent at Ardrey Kell, previously said her trust in the district has withered amid the upheaval. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026

Instead, there were moments in Sunday’s decisive 23-10 victory that give hope that these aren’t the same Jets from a year ago, who withered quickly in a lost season and didn’t win their first game until late October. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

BepiColombo’s laser instrument should confirm how much Mercury is withering as a result of internal cooling, said Gaku Nishiyama, the study’s lead author, who is taking part in the space mission. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026

BepiColombo's laser instrument should confirm how much Mercury is withering as a result of internal cooling, said Gaku Nishiyama, the study's lead author who is taking part in the space mission. — Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 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