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

And, in fact, agility and clarity frequently wither under growing headcount. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025

However, at the time, the film's withering reception proved to be something of a scarlet letter for Berkley's burgeoning movie career. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

Her queerness, though, was rejected by her parents (Merritt Wever, channeling a withering scorn and a pious look that is cold and unnerving, and Ethan Embry as her conservative father). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025

But after withering on the Houston bench for two years in an overcrowded forward rotation, he’s primed for a leap in Year 3. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

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