wither

¹

[ with-er ]

verb (used without object)

1. to shrivel; fade; decay:

   The grapes had withered on the vine.

   Synonyms: waste, droop, languish, decline, dry, shrink, wrinkle

2. to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed by away ).

verb (used with object)

1. to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc.:

   The drought withered the buds.

2. to affect harmfully:

   Reputations were withered by the scandal.

3. to abash, as by a scathing glance:

   a look that withered him.

   Synonyms: shame, humiliate

Wither

²

[ with-er ]

noun

1. George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

wither

/ ˈwɪðə /

verb

1. intr (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up
2. introften foll byaway to fade or waste

   all hope withered away

3. intr to decay, decline, or disintegrate
4. tr to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality
5. tr to abash, esp with a scornful look
6. tr to harm or damage

Derived Forms

• ˈwithered, adjective
• ˈwitheringly, adverb
• ˈwithering, adjective
• ˈwitherer, noun

Other Words From

• withered·ness noun
• wither·er noun
• wither·ing·ly adverb
• non·wither·ing adjective
• over·withered adjective
• un·withered adjective
• un·wither·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wither¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (verb)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wither¹

C14: perhaps variant of weather (vb); related to German verwittern to decay

Synonym Study

Wither, shrivel imply a shrinking, wilting, and wrinkling. Wither (of plants and flowers) is to dry up, shrink, wilt, fade, whether as a natural process or as the result of exposure to excessive heat or drought: Plants withered in the hot sun. Shrivel, used of thin, flat objects and substances, such as leaves, the skin, etc., means to curl, roll up, become wrinkled: The leaves shrivel in cold weather. Paper shrivels in fire.

Example Sentences

Drought has withered the palms, and the escalators are still.

From Los Angeles Times

Within a decade, the California GOP had largely withered away in Sacramento as the state became more diverse.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, the bookworm twins are forced to witness their father, Percy, further wither and drink himself away: He’s a former Parisian juggler in a wheelchair after being hit by a drunk driver.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday afternoon, Kamala Harris stood in front of the vice-presidential residence in Washington DC, and delivered a short but withering attack on her Republican presidential opponent.

From BBC

Her descent into darkness symbolized the harbinger of fall, when crops gradually withered.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• atrophy
• decay
• deflate
• deteriorate
• disintegrate
• dry
• fade
• languish
• perish
• shrink
• shrivel
• wane
• wilt