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

Featuring tons of interviews from whistleblowers and ex-employees, this is a withering critique of capitalism that needs to be seen. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

No bear population, even one as obviously robust as the Southern one, could withstand the withering assaults of very many Colliers and his contemporaries. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Not even a day after treatment, Wu says his juvenile sesame crop began to wither and die. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026

The whole supporting cast is great, but look out for Saskia Chana as Leila’s best friend Deniz, a fount of withering lines delivered with deadpan panache. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

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