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

But his support among Palestinians has withered during years of corruption and the sometimes violent advance of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

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

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