thither

[ thith-er, thith- ]

adverb

1. Also thith·er·ward [] thither·wards. to or toward that place or point; there.

adjective

1. on the farther or other side or in the direction away from the person speaking; farther; more remote.

thither

/ ˈðɪðə; ˈðɪðəwəd /

adverb

1. obsolete.
   to or towards that place; in that direction

   the flowers and music which attract people thither

Word History and Origins

Origin of thither¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of Middle English thider, Old English, alteration of thæder(i) ( i from hider hither ); akin to Old Norse thathra “there,” Gothic thathro “thence,” Sanskrit tátra “there, thither”

Word History and Origins

Origin of thither¹

Old English thider, variant of thæder, influenced by hider hither ; related to Old Norse thathra there

Idioms and Phrases

see hither and thither .

Example Sentences

With the improvement of means of communication, transportation gradually lost its penal character, while the injury done to the country by the exile of criminals thither is annually increasing.

From New York Times

Upon learning of a red snowfield in the Swiss Alps, the American Naturalist reported that a Mr. Shuttleworth “betook himself thither” with his microscope and declared the color due to tiny animalcules.

From Seattle Times

The humor is sporadic, hinging mostly on slapstick-style depictions of body parts being flung hither and thither.

From Seattle Times

Ophie fetched tea and ran hither and thither as she was told, and the winter continued melting into spring.

From Literature

A required national policy has, in typical fashion, devolved to the local level, directed hither and thither by the waves of passivity the media can generate by exaggerating crime and violence.

From Salon