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 Sayers

wither

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British

: withers

Synonyms

Verb

• dry
• 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

Why did the McDonalds attract such withering criticism? —John Blake, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024

For one, Trump’s criticism of Amazon (and Bezos) over the years has been withering, even if the administration was personally lucrative for Amazon’s founder. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024

State lawmakers booted the TSU board and upended the university's search for a new president following a series of withering audits that described widespread mismanagement by top administrators. —Adam Tamburin, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024

The withering vestiges of avant-garde New York—the writers, critics, artists, filmmakers, and dancers who have hung on since its peak—feel a little less vital today without his contempt. —Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

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

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