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

His ailments became so notorious that Andy Roddick mocked him in a withering attack ahead of their U.S. Open quarterfinal in 2008, suggesting that some of his injuries were not genuine. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025

College football isn’t alone in having to deal with the downstream effects of the withering pay-TV universe. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025

Davis, who died in 2022, was best known for his sprawling 1990 best seller, City of Quartz, a withering analysis of Los Angeles’s development. —Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025

Posada finished with eight points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists against the visiting Hawks (4-18), who committed 39 turnovers against St. Charles North’s withering press and didn’t record a basket until the 5:44 mark of the third quarter. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025

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