wither

verb with·er \ ˈwi-t͟hər \

|Updated on: 21 Jul 2018

Examples: wither in a Sentence

Definition of wither

withered; withering play \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

See wither defined for English-language learners

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Examples of wither in a Sentence

The plants withered and died.
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered

Recent Examples of wither from the Web

Since the 1960s the average landholding has withered from 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) to 1.1 (see bottom chart)—about one and a half football pitches.

— The Economist, "India’s government claims to subsidise farmers, but actually hurts them," 12 July 2018
That idea has withered over time, as digital art has found gallery space in modern art museums.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Can an algorithm be art?," 7 May 2018
The pair, much maligned, have failed to reimburse the faith shown in them by their manager, and his laudable patience has evidently finally withered.

— SI.com, "Liverpool Keen to Splash Coutinho Cash on World Class Atletico Keeper Jan Oblak," 7 Jan. 2018
Despite withering heat, participants erected several tents around Eighth and Cherry Streets and resisted attempts by police to move them away from the ICE office.

— robert moran, Philly.com, "Protesters set up camp outside Philly ICE office," 2 July 2018
The 5-4 vote, along conservative-liberal lines, on Wednesday overruled a 1977 precedent that had fueled the growth of public-sector unionization even as representation has withered in private industry.

— jess bravin, WSJ, "Supreme Court Deals Blow to Public-Sector Unions," 27 June 2018
All of the parties that had abused our trust could wither away in favor of incorruptible machines.

— gideon lewis-kraus, WIRED, "The Blockchain: A Love Story—And a Horror Story," 18 June 2018
The World Trade Organization is withering into irrelevance, its rules largely unchanged since the 1994 reform round.

— karen j. alter, Washington Post, "Trump’s tariffs aren’t the biggest trade problem. Will China step up to protect the WTO?," 18 June 2018
There also are flowers hung there, withered a bit now, even the plastic ones.

— charles p. pierce, SI.com, "Win City: The Playoff-Bound Golden Knights Have Helped Humanize—and Heal—Las Vegas," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wither.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wither

Middle English widren; probably akin to Middle English weder weather

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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wither Synonyms

wither

noun

Definition of wither

chiefly British

: withers

First Known Use of wither

1607

in the meaning defined above

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Wither

biographical name With·er \ ˈwi-t͟hər \

Definition of Wither

George 1588–1667 English poet and pamphleteer

WITHER Defined for English Language Learners

wither

verb

Definition of wither for English Language Learners

of a plant : to become dry and weak

WITHER Defined for Kids

wither

verb with·er \ ˈwi-t͟hər \

Definition of wither for Students

withered; withering

: to shrivel or cause to shrivel from or as if from loss of moisture : wilt

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wither

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Wither

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