Synonyms of withered

withered 1 of 2

adjective

as in shriveled

Related Words

• shriveled
• wizened
• gaunt
• skeletal
• haggard
• emaciated
• scrawny
• lanky
• lank
• bony
• starved
• undernourished
• thin
• wasted
• skinny
• cadaverous
• underfed
• sinewy
• starving
• rawboned
• scraggy
• spare
• hungry
• famished

Dissimilar Words

• healthy
• husky
• fit
• hale
• burly
• brawny
• beefy
• hearty
• fleshy
• plump
• fat
• pudgy
• chubby
• corpulent
• obese
• overweight
• stocky
• rotund
• portly
• flabby
• soft
• tubby
• heavyset
• thickset
• roly-poly

withered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of wither

1

as in dried

to lose liveliness, force, or freshness

shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered

the old man seemed to wither suddenly upon turning 80

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dried
• faded
• wilted
• shriveled
• diminished
• waned
• wizened
• decreased
• mummified
• declined
• lessened

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revived
• flourished
• bloomed
• grew
• prospered
• increased
• thrived
• developed
• freshened
• waxed
• peaked
• surged
• crested

2

as in faded

to lose bodily strength or vigor

if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die

Synonyms & Similar Words

• faded
• weakened
• sagged
• went
• decayed
• failed
• sank
• deteriorated
• drooped
• wilted
• lagged
• emaciated
• wasted (away)
• languished
• flagged
• rotted
• yielded
• broke down
• degenerated
• ran down
• wore out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovered
• recuperated
• rallied
• rebounded
• gained
• convalesced

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of withered

Adjective

Firefighters struggled to contain the initial outbreak, and strong winds, allied to the withered land, saw the flames quickly spread. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

The neural wiring of the obese mouse, on the right, withered. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

These misshapen and withered figurines—a teddy bear with a candle and a turkey in pointed shoes—looked over at the photos from low plinths in one corner of the gallery. — Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Some oak trees retain their brown, withered leaves over winter, which paints a pretty picture when seen against a backdrop of white snow. — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026

The process leaves behind withered petals and a liquid that cools into a thick wax. — Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 3 May 2026

Either shear the whole plant by a third or selectively cut withered flowers and leggy stems. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026

Heaps of last summer’s grassy sedge lay withered around us. — Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026

Soft winds threaten to blow the withered flowers away. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

Verb

As Florida’s winter dry season stretched into a near rainless wet season, the central Everglades has withered into extreme drought conditions. — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Fruits—except for rose hips, withered wild grapes and perhaps a few others—are pretty much gone. — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Unfortunately, despite the best bipartisan intentions of all concerned over the last 18 months, any initiative for a federal TV and film has withered on the Executive Office and Congressional vine. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

Squash plants are withered, siphoned to oblivion by squash bugs. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026

Without the original staffers, though, its X pages have withered with few engagements on most posts. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026

Dreams withered under Ashley, but fun and fantasy were always a very Keegan thing. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Research showed that without fans, home-field advantage withered. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 18 July 2026

Russian inflation soared while foreign currency reserves shrank and many inputs for its defense industrial base withered. — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026