wither

verb

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with·er | \ ˈwi-t͟hər

withered; withering\ ˈwit͟h-riŋ , ˈwi-t͟hə-

Definition of wither

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

noun

Definition of wither (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly British

: withers

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About wither

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 Not all plants wither when faced with harsh conditions. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 May 2022 Other studies show that elites are more individualistic, while non-elites place a higher value on community and solidarity, which explains the soul pain of people in rural and Rust Belt America who are seeing their communities wither. — Joan C. Williams, The New Republic, 19 Apr. 2022 If forests continue to wither, so will the likelihood that Earth’s warming can be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial levels — a central aim of the Paris climate accord. — Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2022 But even if on-farm recharge is proven safe, beneficial, and arguably necessary for the fish, the crops, the land, and the residents—even if all of that happens, the Terranova project could still wither on the vine. — Susie Cagle, Wired, 12 Apr. 2022 Tandy’s early dominance would wither as competitors developed models that were equally inexpensive or offered faster speeds and greater functionality. — New York Times, 23 Mar. 2022 Civil society will wither at the hands of elites with luxury beliefs who cannot engage respectfully with dissenting thought. — WSJ, 21 Mar. 2022 The cost of running this model helps explain why it was allowed to wither nationwide after the 2008 and 2012 Obama victories, leaving little on the ground during the GOP surge years of 2010 and 2014. — Ben Wikler, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2022 The hand that signed the treaty, Scheidemann declared, should wither away. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2021 See More

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.